The Bodyguard
by Sethoz
Summary: Special Agent Tom Sawyer vanishes for a week. When he is found he has... changed. Is Tom really now the League's enemy? And just who is the mysterious 'Mr. Big' and what are his plans for the American? -Now Complete!-
1. Missing in Action

Disclaimer: So, here we have it, a brand spanking new LXG story! I will be up-dating Black Pawn, White Pawn, but I couldn't resist posting this. This is set about four months after the movie.  
  
I don't own LXG, Tom Sawyer, Allan Quatermain, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dorian Gray, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, M or anything else used in the fic.  
  
Hope everyone enjoys this, please leave a review and let me know what you think!  
  
Thank you so much to Clez, who helped me with a name for one of the charters.  
  
The Bodyguard.  
  
~~~  
  
Part One:- Missing in Action.  
  
~~~  
  
Tom Sawyer ran.   
  
The person he was chasing was fast, but Tom was faster. He ran round corners, along empty streets and over fallen rubbish. Above Tom, he could just hear the flutter of bat wings which told him Mina was also hot on the trail. A little way to his right he could see the odd glimpse of Mr. Hyde as he leaped over rooftops.  
  
With a final leap, he crossed the distance between himself and the pursued in a rather rough way. The two men went flying sideways, both hitting the stone wall. Tom scrambled to his feet, struggling to keep his vision sharp.  
  
"What are your running for Merl?" he asked. The other man simply panted hard and shot Tom a vicious look.  
  
"Why you picking on me?" he whined. Mina appeared beside him, her fangs bared.  
  
"Maybe it's because you sent up into a trap. You set us up Merl." she said. Tom casually fingered his two pistols.  
  
"Hey Mina?" he said, in an off-hand tone of voice. "Did you remember to feed tonight?" Mina appeared to consider this for a second.  
  
"Why no. I don't think I have, and I am starting to feel a little peak-ish." she said, her gaze sliding onto Merl. She regarded him as a wolf watches a sheep. Merl began to sweat. He turned to Tom, who was still fingering his pistols.  
  
"Come on, I didn't know it was a trap, I promise. Tom... I mean Agent Sawyer, don't let her eat me, I thought you lot were the good guys." Merl pleaded, his grubby fingers reaching out from Tom. The American stepped back.  
  
"A word of advice Merl." He said, bending down so his face was level with Merl's. "If you send the good guys into a trap, that makes you a bad guy. And the good guys always kill the bad guy... that is, unless you can give me something worth having. Something else my friend can focus on." he gave Merl a smile for a spilt second then turned away.   
  
Merl looked from Tom to Mina then back to Tom. The female Vampire took a step towards Merl, allowing the rest of her face to change. One look at that face was enough to convince the other man.  
  
"Okay, Okay." he said, throwing up his hands to ward off Mina. He glanced around. "There is something new in town, something big. Bigger than the world, this guy is going to set stuff alight."  
  
"What stuff?" Tom asked. Merl looked around again, his eyes searching every shadow.  
  
"He's going to set alight to everything." Merl whispered.  
  
"Who?" Tom asked. Merl bowed his head but didn't answer. "Who is it?" Tom asked again. He moved forward and placed a hand on Merl's shoulder. He shook him gently. The man's head tipped forward, his eyes stuck open in an expression of fear and surprise.   
  
Tom slowly pushed him forward and looked at Merl's back. Embedded in his shoulder blade was a very thin throwing knife. He made a move to remove it but was stopped by Mina's low voice.  
  
"We should go. We can do nothing for him and the police will be here shortly. Unless you want to spend the night in a cell we should go." Mina said. Tom nodded and gingerly removed his hand.  
  
"Sorry Merl." he whispered, closing the man's eyes. "Where did Mr. Hyde get to?" he suddenly asked, scanning the rooftops for the missing monster.   
  
"We should split up, head back to the Nautilus. With any luck Mr. Hyde just returned there after seeing we had caught Merl." Mina said. Tom nodded and took off down one of the many alleyways. Mina watched him go then flew into the air.   
  
She still had to hunt before she could return to the Nautilus.  
  
~~~  
  
Tom moved through the streets of London with the air of someone who knows where they are going, someone not to be messed with.   
  
He was passing one of the many dank and dark ally when he first heard the noise. It was a rustling of some kind of cloth as if someone was walking. But when Tom turned he was faced with an empty street. He frowned.  
  
//Didn't I pass a drunk a moment ago?\\ he thought. He turned back to face the way he was going and let out a tiny gasp. The whole street in front of him was empty as well.   
  
Even though he knew there had been at least three people in front of him a minute ago. He slowly slipped his hands into his jacket and pulled out his pistols, his mind alert of any danger. There was a footstep behind him.   
  
He spun round, both pistols pointing directly at the person's chest. The man gave a gasp of shock.  
  
"Mr. Sawyer, it is I." he said. Tom lowed his weapons.  
  
"What on earth are you doing here Bhishma?" Tom asked. Bhishma had the grace to look embarrassed. He had joined the crew of the Nautilus just over three months ago and was still finding it heard to fit in.  
  
"I came in the hope of seeing you and Madam Mina in action." he said shyly. Tom sighed and placed his pistols away.  
  
"You're a bit late Bhishma. It's all over." Tom said. "Come on, let's get back to the Nautilus." he added. The two men began to walk again, each with their own thoughts.   
  
Tom was caught up the mystery of the death of Merl and the new person who threatened the safety of who knew what. It was safe to assume that this person... who ever it was, was behind Merl's murder.  
  
Bhishma was caught up in his own problems. He could feel his heart beating away in his chest due to his fear. But it was too late for Bhishma to change his mind now.  
  
Bhishma knew that, it just didn't make it any easier.  
  
In the end though, Bhishma knew that if he had been offered the same choice at this very moment, he would have chosen the same thing. He badly needed the money.   
  
"Mr. Sawyer? What is that?" Bhishma asked, pointing to something over Tom's head. The American turned to look.  
  
"What? I don't see anything." he said. Bhishma pulled out his own pistol and used the butt end to smash it down on Tom's head. The agent wobbled slightly and half turned to look Bhishma, betray written on his face.  
  
For what seemed like an entity, Tom stared into Bhishma's eyes, the emotion in them one of pure confusion.  
  
//What have I done to deserve this?\\ he seemed to be asking. Then, the moment passed and Tom slumped to the ground, his eyes closing.   
  
His expression became peaceful.   
  
Bhishma rubbed at his eyes then began to drag Tom away, toward a pre-determined spot. Bhishma was only human after all and the ties of friendship could be cut for money.  
  
TBC...  
  
There you have it, the first part! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!  
  
~Sethoz 


	2. Anyone Can be Bought

Disclaimer: here we go, the second part of 'The Bodyguard', hope you all enjoy. This is set about four months after the movie. I don't own LXG, Tom Sawyer, Allan Quatermain, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Mr. Smith.  
  
Cynthia, Ruby of the Rose:- Hope you stick with this one, as it will take a while to brainwash Tom...  
  
Clez:- ah, you do not scare me with your big stick, for I have the.. uh.. pointy... stick... yes...  
  
drowchild:- Tom would be so cool as the bad guy!  
  
M J Rosemary:- Glad you're enjoying it!  
  
Roz:- And here is more ;)  
  
Ash De Brie:- NOOOOOOO!!! I need more of Springtime for LXG!  
  
Naitriab:- Watching Angel? I don't know what you mean... *laughs nervously* I could write about someone else being kidnapped, but rest assured, all is not as it seems.  
  
Please, please read this then leave a review telling me what you think!  
  
The Bodyguard  
  
~~~  
  
Part Two:- Anyone Can be Bought.  
  
~~~  
  
The dimly lit streets of London didn't give Bhishma much light. He stood outside 'The Cat's Whiskers', one of the many pubs next to the London docks and pulled his coat more tightly around him. A little way behind him was slumped Tom Sawyer. Bhishma knew that there was little chance of anyone even taking a second look at the still body.   
  
Most of the people who passed simply turned their noses up at what they thought was a passed out drunk. Though now many people passed 'The Cat's Whiskers', as it was in the more run down area of the London docks. The majority of people who passed were sailors, who cared little for a man who couldn't hold his drink. This had been one of the many reasons why Bhishma had suggested this place.   
  
"I believe you have something for sale." A voice said calmly. Bhishma gave a violent start and turned to the man who had appeared next to him, trying to control his breathing.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Smith." Bhishma said, bowing to the man, trying to ignore the sickness he could feel at the sight of the man. He slipped Tom's arm around his shoulder and guided the still sleeping agent around the back of the pub, to a wooden jetty. Bhishma gently placed Tom on the ground, his right hand hanging over the edge of the jetty towards the still water below.  
  
"Where's my money?" Bhishma demanded. Mr. Smith smiled a tight smile and pulled out a thin, black briefcase.   
  
"Here you have it, the rest of your money." Mr. Smith said in a cold voice. His voice sounded dead. Bhishma nervously looked around the shadows. A little way behind him a black... something moved slightly and crept closer.  
  
"Wh-what are you going to do to him?" he asked. Mr. Smith made a motion with his hands, towards the open Thames.  
  
"I'm afraid that is really nothing to do with you." Mr. Smith said as a high powered ship roared into view. Bhishma's eyes widened. Another it was not as nearly as impressive as the Nautilus, it was similar to the great sub in many ways. It had clearly been modified from the design of Nemo's own creation, though Bhishma had no idea how they had got the plans to the Nautilus. As the boat got closer Mr. Smith took a step nearer to Bhishma, who was standing between him and Tom Sawyer.  
  
"My Boss is aware that this has been hard for you, betraying your friends, in particular your American friend. As such had has ordered me to give you a little extra." Smith said. Any doubts Bhishma might have had vanished at the mention of something extra. Though he hated to admit it, Bhishma needed money and needed it badly. He finally took the briefcase Smith had been holding out to him and opened it, greedily counting the money, to make sure every pound was there.  
  
Smith smiled and reached inside his coat, pulling out a revolver. The gun fired once, then twice, hitting Bhishma right in the chest. The man was dead before he hit the ground, his hands still clutching some notes. Smith bent down, removing the money and placing it back in the briefcase.   
  
"Mr. Big is very keen on loyalty. He is... disappointed that you broke the League's trust." Smith said, staring down at the body with disgust and something else on his face, something akin to hunger. He turned away from the body and gestured his sailors forward, pointing at the still form of Tom.  
  
At that moment Mr. Hyde came crashing towards them, roaring, pure rage on his features. As he bounded towards the sailors, his arm caught Tom's side. The force knocked the American Agent off the weak, wooden jetty and into the cold water below.  
  
Neither Hyde or Smith noticed this.  
  
"Stun him only!" Yelled Smith. "Mr. Big needs him alive for later." The Sailors all brought up there weapons and fired, the shoots ringing out loud. Hyde simply grunted as a tranquilizer dart hit his thick skin, taking all the shoots that were sent at him, absorbing them as if he was a sponge. He gave another roar and stepped closer, grinning as he realized some of Smith's sailors were scared of the towering monster that now loomed above them.  
  
Mr. Hyde roared again.  
  
~~~  
  
Mina landed a few feet away from Captain Nemo, her face perfectly composed. She brushed her hair away from her face with her hands, carefully removing all traces of blood.  
  
"Am I late?" she asked, her cool gaze fixed on Nemo. The Indian looked surprised at her comment.  
  
"You are the first to return." he answered. Mina froze, her hand in mid-stoke and stared at him in worry. Then she spun on her heel and marched back into the city, trying to pick up either Tom's or Hyde's scent. Nemo followed, a few of his men close behind.  
  
Without any pause Mina walked back to where she and Tom had parted ways. She shut her eyes and sniffed the air, before following the path Tom had taken. By this time Nemo and his sailors had caught up with her. There was silence.  
  
"Sawyer met someone here... one of your sailors I believe. That man who seems to have been spending a lot of time with Sawyer." She sniffed the air, a slight frown marring her features.  
  
"The two turned this way, away from the Nautilus." she said, taking the same fork Bhishma had taken. Mina moved more slowly this time, stopping every few paces to sniff the air, as if to reassure her self that they were indeed going the right way. She seemed unsure of the route, as if something was disturbing her.  
  
"There is something odd here." Mina muttered, more to herself than to Nemo. They were standing across the road from some dingy pub, the Thames lapping quietly at the back. As they stood there, Mina debating about where to go next, a roar could be heard.  
  
"Hyde." Nemo gasped, as the roar came again and again. He ran across the road, his sailors a pace or two behind. Mina stood on the pavement torn between joining them or not. There was something over there, something dark, something new.  
  
It scared Mina.  
  
However Hyde roared again, and this time Mina knew that whatever was lurking in the darkness was something she would have to face anyway. Taking a deep, un-needed breath, Mina left the pavement and ran towards the back of the pub, feeling her face change as she did so.  
  
When she reached the jetty Nemo and his men were already firing on Smith's sailors. Smith gave a scream of rage and anger.  
  
"You fools!" he yelled, as the last of his men scattered, seeing the Vampire form of Mina. "You sniveling, pathetic fools." He took a step backwards as he suddenly realized he was alone and facing three very annoyed members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.   
  
To everyone's surprise he suddenly broke in a grin, the smile twisting his face.  
  
"Next time my friends. Next time my Boss will have a little surprise for you." Smith pulled the revolver from his pocket and fired it, hitting Hyde on the arm. The beast roared, only this time, it was a roar of pain.  
  
He staggered backwards, crushing one of Nemo's men as he went. Hyde roared again, this time as his potion wore off. The next second Jekyll was lying on the ground, screaming in agony. His screams faded to whimpers as the drugs - which hadn't had any effect on his alter-ego Hyde - dulled his senses, calling him to the darkness.  
  
Smith smiled again, showing a lot of white teeth. He turned and ran towards his ship, his feet slapping on the wood as he went. Nemo raised his own gun and fired. The bullet hit it's target, sending Smith to the ground.   
  
"Well done Captain." Mina said. "However, in reflection, perhaps it would have been better to not, have shot our only means of information through the head." She stopped and titled her head at Nemo.   
  
"Just a thought." she said.  
  
"Fools..." a low voice said, making the hair on Nemo's arm stand on end. What happened next was something out of a horror novel. Smith climbed to his feet, the back of his head blown clear away. He placed a hand on the large gaping hole, then reached inside, pulling out the bullet.  
  
The metal hit the wood with a tiny clink. As the League watched, the wound on Smith's head began to heal, skin and hair re-growing at an unbelievable rate, until, after only a few seconds, it was as if Smith had never been shoot. He began to run again, jumping the reaming distance between himself and his ship.  
  
Instantly the ship powered up, pulling away the dock and the stunned League. Smith stood by the door to his ship and gave them all a mocking wave before fading into the darkness.  
  
"Dr. Jekyll!" Mina called, moving over to the injured Doctor. His eyes were open, but unseeing, jerking slightly, his hands dancing in the air randomly. Nemo hurried over, pausing for a moment to look at the dead form of Bhishma.  
  
"Bhishma is dead." he called out, knowing there was nothing he could do for his sailor. "What madness drove both him and Sawyer to this place?" he asked the air. His sentence seemed to remand him of something.  
  
"Madam Mina, can you trace Agent Sawyer?" he asked, reaching Jekyll, his strong hands reaching down and pulling the man to his feet. Mina looked at him, a dark and foreboding look in her eyes.  
  
"I cannot. His scent vanishes..." she looked at the last bit of wood that she knew he had been on. "I do not know where he went." she finished.   
  
"We cannot linger here for him, we must get Dr. Jekyll to the Nautilus as fast as possible." Nemo said. Mina nodded and turned away from Jekyll, letting Nemo and his sailors do the work. She stared out into the dark Thames and sighed.  
  
"Madam Mina!" Nemo called. "We must leave now." he said. Mina turned back to Nemo and followed him as the group headed back to the Nautilus, Bhishma's body being placed in the river, along with the other dead sailor.   
  
Under the jetty, the Thames was thick with rubbish and slime. A lone hat floated above the slime, a marker for what ever rested below it.  
  
TBC...  
  
Check back soon for the next part!  
  
Please, please leave a review... (don't make me beg)  
  
~Sethoz 


	3. One Day's Grace

Disclaimer: Here we go, the next part of 'The Bodyguard', hope you all enjoy. This is set about four months after the movie. I don't own LXG, Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big.  
  
Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed.  
  
Cynthia, Ruby of the Rose:- I'm glad you liked the last part, I hope this one keeps your interest.  
  
Naitriab:- I loved the image at the end of the last part as well. No more nicked bits? That's good... not that I would do anything like that...  
  
Clez:- *ducks* no! Don't explode!  
  
Roz:- I know, you're up-dates have been... absent. Like that SW fic you keep promising me... ;)  
  
JC6:- Glad you're enjoying it.  
  
Angel32:- Of course, I'm still evil with the cliffhangers.   
  
Capt.Cow:- And more you shall have.  
  
ScifiRogue:- If I told you what happened to Tom and Jekyll then the plot would be wrecked. :)  
  
OtRseer3350:- Save Tom? Who says I do anything like that?  
  
Graymoon74:- Well, what else would me and Clez do? Glad you're loving this, and yes, we will slowly learn more about Smith.  
  
The Bodyguard  
  
~~~  
  
Part Three:- One Day's Grace.  
  
~~~   
  
Smith could feel his wound healing as he fled from the League. The skin was growing back at a alarmingly fast rate. It got faster as Smith grew older.  
  
Maybe growing older was the wrong term. Smith didn't get an older. He couldn't. To age was beyond him, he would always remain a 30 year old man, with foreign looks, commonly associated with the regions of the Middle East - places such as Pakistan, Egypt, Iran and others.  
  
His healing abilities increased the longer Smith existed in this world. That was better, that described Smith.   
  
All this passed through Smith's mind as he made the leap over the water and into the back of his boat. He turned and gave the League a little wave, to show that he was okay, and that he would always be okay, no matter what they did.  
  
As the League faded from view, Smith moved below deck, to where the remains of his crew waited. He moved through the depleted ranks, silently counting the gaps.   
  
Smith has underestimated the League - it was a mistake he would not repeat. But then he hadn't reckoned on them finding him so soon. It was all because of that woman, that the League had showed up at all, his sailors would have been able to take down the beast that was Hyde eventually.  
  
"Where is the boy?" Smith asked. The sailors all exchanged glances.  
  
"Umm... Sir... he was never brought aboard." one of his men said, sweating with fear. Smith stalked towards the cowering sailor, murderous intent in his eyes. With a lightning fast move, Smith grabbed the man by the neck and began to squeeze. The tiny bones in the sailors neck began to brake, as he screamed from the sheer pain.  
  
Suddenly Smith dropped the man to the ground, who instantly began to kiss Smith's feet, grateful beyond measure that he had been spared for some - as yet - unknown reason. Smith was staring at the ranks of sailors, a unreadable expression on his Middle Eastern features.  
  
"Cris." He said calmly. The sailors in front of him moved to the side of the room, much like the Red Sea split down the middle in front of the Israelites. The sailor called Cris began to sweat as he realized all of Smith's rage was now fixed on him.  
  
"You were one of the sailors I had on the jetty with me. You were one of the sailors who fled when the League approached. So, I have to ask myself this. Why did you return to this place?" Smith asked. Cris gulped and looked first right, then left. None of the other men would meet his gaze.  
  
"Leave us. Cris and I need to... talk." Smith suddenly commended. All of the blood drained from every sailor's face when they heard this command. They began to scatter, the braver shooting Cris a look of sympathy. Cris himself, looked as if he was about to pass out from sheer fear.   
  
"And make sure we arrive at Mr. Big's place by dawn!" Smith yelled after the retreating men. As the last men left the room, the door clanged shut, locking Smith and Cris in the room. Cris was now literally shaking. He had heard of this room and what happens when you are left alone with Smith - though, of course, he had only heard rumors. No one who was locked in here with Smith ever lived to tell the tale.  
  
"Open the box." Smith said coldly, pointing to a large lead box in the corner of the room. Cris slowly opened the box, cringing as he did so, expecting the worst. The lid swung backwards, to revel weapon after weapon.   
  
Cris could feel him mouth fall open in shock. In a daze he saw Smith reach pass him and take out two arm gauntlets, a curved blade on each. In his daze, his mind began to wander onto other subjects - namely, why was Smith called Smith? It was an English name through and through and there was nothing English about the man. Smith was in fact, an Egyptian.  
  
"You can use any weapons in that box." Smith said, interrupting the sailor's thoughts. "This is a fight to the death." He said, tying the gauntlets onto his arms, testing how sharp the blades were. Cris reached in and pulled out some throwing knives and a sword.  
  
"B-but you can't be killed." Cris stuttered. "How can it be a fight to the death?"  
  
"I didn't say it was a fight to my death." Smith said with a wolfish smirk. He put his arms in a fighting stance. A thought seemed to occur to him.   
  
"You have been very loyal to me and to our Boss..."  
  
"Th-that's right Sir!" Cris said, eagerly clinging onto any hope. Smith rubbed his chin with one of his hands.  
  
"Very well. If you manage to inflict an injury on me that would be fatal to a normal man, then you shall live." Smith said, before making a parry forward with one of his gauntlets. The Egyptian fought skillfully, using his blades to both attack and defend. Cris was not as well taught in the skills of the sword but he managed to parry the thrusts sent his way.   
  
With a flick of his wrist he threw one of the knives, showing his accuracy and skill. It embedded itself in Smith's arm, which was raised at the last moment. With his skill of throwing knives, it was clear why he had been picked to take out Merl.  
  
"Very good." Smith said, before attacking with more vigor. The blades were coming at Cris faster now, blurring so it was hard to tell where they were. In a panic Cris threw the other two throwing knives. Smith simply blocked them with his own blades, making them bounce harmlessly off onto the ground.  
  
"Please..." Cris begged, holding the sword with both hands. "I've done everything you ever asked! I killed Merl, I fought Mr. Hyde." He finished. Smith snarled and lunged forward again, the bloodlust aroused in him. This time he managed to cut Cris across the belly. It was just a shallow cut, but very painful. The pain alone made Cris drop his sword.   
  
Smith clanged his two blades together and rammed Cris, sending him to the floor. As the sailor hit it, he knew death was coming to claim him. His one wish was that he would die quickly.  
  
Cris looked up - right into the true face of Smith and screamed.  
  
His screams lasted long into the night.  
  
~~~   
  
Smith entered the darkened room, none of his normal arrogance present on his face. It had been said of Smith, that he feared no living man, except one. The one he was about to talk to.  
  
His Boss.  
  
Mr. Big. Like Smith himself, 'Mr. Big' was not his true name but one chosen by him, to convey what he was. Big. The biggest. The very air around Mr. Big stank of money and corruption. Mr. Big was of the opinion that he could buy anyone he wanted and in most cases he was right.   
  
"Well?" Mr. Big asked, his whole body shrouded in the shadows of the room. "Where is he?"  
  
"I-I don't know... we lost him." Smith said, bowing his head. There was little doubt in Smith's mind that Mr. Big knew this already, he seemed to have a knack for knowing everything.  
  
"Now, that is a pity." Mr. Big drawled. He began to finger a ring on the third finger of his left hand. "We need him for the ritual."  
  
"I'll find him Boss." Smith promised.   
  
"You better." Mr. Big said, his voice casual. "Don't forget where you came from or why you are here. You have one day to find out where the boy is and plan accordingly. If you do not have more positive news by them, then I will use you in the ceremony."   
  
Smith looked up at Mr. Big for a fleeting instant, his expression torn between fear and relief.  
  
"Thank you Boss." he said, walking out of the room backwards, being careful not to turn his back on him. Outside the room he breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
He had been given a second chance, something that would never happen again. He had been given one day's grace. He was not going to waste it.  
  
Smith strode forward, back to his boat, barking out orders as he did so. Soon, very soon, he would know where Sawyer was - after all, all he had to do was find the League.  
  
~~~   
  
Nemo paced up and down the corridor. Every few moments he would give the closed wooden door a look before carrying on with his pacing. Mina had been treating Dr. Jekyll inside that room for nearly a hour and Nemo was getting impatient.   
  
He wanted to know how Jekyll was and if he knew where Sawyer was. Nemo has sent out his sailors to search the city while he waited. So far, none had returned with any good news.  
  
Skinner's hat and coat floated towards him.  
  
"So mate, let's see if I've got this straight. Sawyer is missing, Jekyll is ill and we have some guy out there who has this nifty party trick. You kill him, but he doesn't die. That right?"  
  
"That is correct Skinner." Nemo answered a serious look on his face.  
  
"Well, that's just dandy." Skinner muttered, watching Nemo as the later began to pace again. The invisible man rolled his eyes - a futile gesture as no one could see him, but it made him feel better anyway.  
  
The door gave a creak of protest as it was pushed open. Mina emerged from behind it, looking tired and worn.   
  
"I have treated his wound." She said softly. "I have done my best to remove the drugs in his body, he had over three times the normal amount. I was lucky there." Mina hesitated and looked back to the room.  
  
"I am no Doctor. I have treated him as best I could, but I don't know when he will wake or if his shoulder will be infected." She closed her eyes briefly, the memory of the tangy scent of Henry Jekyll's blood still fresh in her mind.  
  
"I am sure you have done the best you could do." Nemo said.   
  
"Sure you didn't take a bite or two out of him?" Skinner joked. Mina's eyes flashed red for a moment and a low growl escaped from her throat. Nemo looked startled. It was impossible to tell what Skinner was thinking as he wasn't wearing his grease paint.  
  
"That was not courteous." Mina said shortly. "Has there been any news of Tom Sawyer?" she asked, turning to face Nemo, her eyes human again.  
  
"As yet, none Madam Mina. I fear that the one person who knows where he is, is currently trapped inside the sleeping mind of Dr. Jekyll." Nemo said.  
  
"You mean we are going to have to ask nice, shy retiring Edward Hyde what happened to the kid?" Skinner asked in disbelief.  
  
"I do not think it will come to that. Hopefully Dr. Jekyll will be able to answer out questions." Mina said. Skinner's coat began to float off.  
  
"Well, while we wait, I think I'll have a whisky." he said cheerfully. Mina sighed and walked off as well, leaving the door to Jekyll's sick room, slightly ajar.  
  
Nemo walked off as well, intent on offering a prayer to Kali before checking to see how his sailors had done. It was impossible to believe that Tom Sawyer was alive in this city and yet, his sailors, who knew Tom, were unable to locate him.  
  
Nemo stood perfectly still, his mind replaying his last thought.  
  
//impossible to believe that Tom Sawyer was alive and yet, his sailors, who knew Tom, were unable to locate him... impossible to believe... impossible to believe Tom Sawyer was still alive...\\  
  
"Impossible..." Nemo whispered, walking again, refusing to entrain that thought any longer. Tom Sawyer was alive, had to be alive.   
  
The League wouldn't let it be any other way.  
  
TBC...  
  
There we have it. For anyone who wants to know what happens to Tom, well keep an eye out for the next part which will revel all. Okay, not all, but some.  
  
Please, please leave a review.  
  
~Sethoz 


	4. Rude Awakenings

Disclaimer: Here we go, the next part of 'The Bodyguard', hope you all enjoy. This is set about four months after the movie. I don't own LXG, Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big.  
  
Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed.  
  
Clez:- Bit more than a glimpse this time... though you may wish I had just left him alone.  
  
RogueCajun:- umm... yes.  
  
LotRseer3350:- Ah yes, this ritual. all will be explained... eventually.  
  
Please, please read then review!  
  
The Bodyguard  
  
~~~  
  
Part Four:- Rude Awakenings.  
  
~~~  
  
Hitting the cold water was rather like getting slapped in the face. The shock alone was enough to jerk Tom out of his daze. He splashed around wildly, trying to reach his guns, his mouth open to shout for help. That was a mistake.  
  
The dirty water of the Thames invaded Tom, pushing it's way down his throat. He swallowed a few times before he knew what he was swallowing. He could hear things under the water, shouts and shots, but his mind couldn't seem to work out any details.  
  
Tom could feel the undercurrent of the river pulling him down, using his own weight to do so. With the remainder of his strength he removed his holsters and pistols. The logical part of his mind knew they wouldn't work too well after a dip in the Thames and it would be best to let go, but he couldn't seem to open his frozen fingers. They didn't respond to his order to open.  
  
His lungs started to burn, desperate for some oxygen. Burning on the inside, freezing on the outside. He looked up, through the water. Just out of reach was little lights - stars? Tom didn't know, couldn't remember. A black shape passed over head, blocking Tom's view of the lights. By now his lungs felt as if they were on fire. He reached up - his fingers still clenched around his holsters - and pulled himself on top of the black shape.   
  
Above him he could hear voices and a high powered engine of some kind. He had just enough energy to notice he appeared to be lying on some kind of cloth before passing out.  
  
Tom drifted on his raft, following the tide. After a few minutes he came too, his gaze fuzzy.   
  
Tom blinked a few times, as the world came back to him. The first thing he was aware of was a face staring at him, a face with wide eyes and an open mouth. Tom gave a little yelp of surprise.  
  
The blank dead face of Bhishma stared back at him. There was some sort of irony in that, Tom knew. The fact that the dead body of Bhishma saved him... there was something funny there, but Tom couldn't work out what.  
  
He closed his eyes again and quickly rejoined the darkness. For roughly an hour he was in the grip of the river as it moved him backwards and forwards, his unresisting body ever at the mercy of the waves. When the hour passed his eyes slowly opened. The tide of the Thames had swept him far down river, almost to the very mouth of the Thames.   
  
While the rest had given him a little more energy, it had also given him a terrific aching head. He reached up and touched the back of his head. When he removed it, there was blood on his fingers.  
  
Tom swore.  
  
Even in his confused state of mind, Tom knew only too well that there should be no blood on the back of his head.  
  
There was only one thing to do. He pushed away from the still floating body of the Indian and struck out toward the bank, moving slowly. The seconds crept agonizingly by as he struggled against the current.  
  
Finally he managed to reach the bank and push himself up, shaking and shivering. He lay on the ground for a while, gasping, just grateful to be out of the water. Then he put his holsters back on, relived to feel the weight of his pistols again.  
  
The socking wet American stood up, drawing his wet jacket close around him. It did nothing to warm him up, but it made him feel better anyway.   
  
On uncertain feet he slowly weaved and staggered in the direction of the Nautilus.  
  
~~~   
  
Mina looked up from the book she was reading, her head cocked to the side.   
  
//I could have sworn I heard something...\\ she thought. The noise, what ever it might have been was not repeated. She shrugged slightly and returned to her book.  
  
Time passed slowly. With a growl, Mina put the book down. She knew she would get no more reading done tonight, as she had just read the same line thirteen times. Mina stood up and stalked out of her room, heading for where Dr. Jekyll lay.  
  
As she turned a corner, Skinner appeared beside her.  
  
"Going my way?" he asked, his face visible for once due to his grease paint. Mina didn't answer him, she simply carried on walking. This didn't seem to faze Skinner though.  
  
"I thought I might look in on good old Henry." Skinner said cheerfully. The two moved closer and closer to Jekyll's room. They were only a few hundred meters away when Nemo joined them. The Captain simply bowed to Mina and walked a little way in front.   
  
The three members of the League reached the door and walked into the room. Dr. Jekyll still lay on his bed, a slight sweat on his face. Mina moved to the head of his bed, placing a hand on his forehead, muttering soothing words that were too quiet for Skinner or Captain Nemo to hear.  
  
Skinner moved aimlessly around the room, picking up books, then putting them back down. He didn't feel very comfortable in sick people's rooms.  
  
Captain Nemo stood stiffly at attention at the base of the bed.   
  
Suddenly there was a soft moan from the bed and Dr. Jekyll moved slightly. The other three all exchanged glances and waited. Minutes passed without any other sound from Jekyll.   
  
Without any warning his eyes snapped open and he sucked in a great mouthful of air. His eyes darted around the room, the confusion evident on his face.  
  
"Dr. Jekyll." Mina said. The man's eyes locked on her and he seemed to calm down.  
  
"W-what happened?" he asked, his voice croaky. Nemo stepped forward, a glass of water in his hand. Skinner didn't know where the water had come from but it seemed to be just what Jekyll needed. The Doctor took it and drank greedily, the cool water running down his throat and refreshing him. Suddenly he paled.  
  
"Now I remember..." he said to no-one. "Edward was being partially hard to reason with..."  
  
"What happened? Where did he go when we were chasing Merl and how did he end up on the docks with Bhishma and Sawyer?" Mina asked. Jekyll's face seemed to go even whiter.  
  
"Edward... he was distracted by a young prostitute..." A flicker of disgust passed over Henry Jekyll's face. "He killed her. I... I can still see her face, she was so young, she was so scared..." his voice trailed off as he stared at his hands, reliving the memory in his head.  
  
"Dr. Jekyll." Mina said, her voice gentle yet commanding. "You most put this behind you. What happened next?"  
  
"After...?" he asked in a dazed voice. Then he nodded and took a deep breath. "Yes, after... Hyde was heading back here when he saw Sawyer... he saw..." Jekyll's eyes widened as he tried to remember.  
  
"What?" Nemo asked, worry evident on his face. "What did he see?"  
  
"He saw Sawyer being knocked out by one of your sailors..." Jekyll said. The blood drained out of Nemo's face at this news.  
  
"Bhishma betrayed him? I..." Nemo stopped, not knowing what to say. Jekyll carried on as if hadn't heard the Captain.  
  
"The man took Sawyer to a pub and waited... Edward waited as well... then that... man came and they took Sawyer round the back of the pub..." Jekyll stopped again, his eyes tightly shut in an effort to remember what happened next.  
  
"Tom Sawyer was lying on the wood... Edward charged forward... his arms were swinging... he... he hit Tom's body... the body went flying... it... it fell into the water." Dr. Henry Jekyll finished, his eyes wide with horror as he realized what he was saying.  
  
Silence reigned in the room for one long tense second then panic erupted as the three fit members of the League all struggled to get out of the room and into the corridor. Mina soon slipped ahead of the men, Nemo close behind. Skinner brought up the rear, panting slightly.  
  
As the three left the Nautilus a wet drunk staggered towards Skinner. The man's hair was stained red, the blood mixing with the water.  
  
It was Mina who recognized him first.  
  
"Tom..." she whispered, unwilling to get any closer to him in case the blood lust over came her. It was at times like this that Mina wished even more that she had never felt the deadly Vampire's bite.   
  
Captain Nemo ran towards the weaving agent who seemed oblivious to anything going on around him.  
  
"Agent Sawyer?" Nemo asked. Tom frowned as he stared at Nemo, his mouth open as if to say something.  
  
Instead he fell forward, his eyes already shut. Nemo caught him and began to bellow out orders to his sailors.  
  
~~~   
  
Smith leaned back in his seat, one his fingers tapping a beat onto the arm of his chair. It was the only indication that he was feeling anything other than the calm face he wore.  
  
At that moment one of his many men came running into the room, the excitement clearly on his face. He bowed to Smith.  
  
"Sir, we found him, alive but injured. He was indeed with the League."  
  
"Very well." Smith said, standing up and walking out of the room. The sailor stared after him, his mouth hanging open. He ha expected Smith to show some emotion at the news that would spare him from the Boss but there had been none.  
  
All this simply fed all the rumors that Smith was something over than human.  
  
Smith walked into another room, heading towards the Morse key on the table, intent on sending a message to Mr. Big. He allowed a smile smile to reach his face.   
  
The hunt was always his favorite part.  
  
~~~   
  
"Incoming message!" A man yelled. He listened into his headset;  
  
-... --- ... ... .-.-.- / ..-. --- ..- -. -.. / ... .- .-- -.-- . .-. / .- .-.. .. ...- . .-.-.- / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-. .- .--. - ..- .-. . .-.-.- / ... -- .. - .... .-.-.-   
  
"It's from Smith. It says; Boss. Found Sawyer alive. Will capture. Smith." The other man in the room nodded and left without a word.  
  
Mr. Big would be pleased. And when Mr. Big was pleased no one died painfully. Well... not unless Mr. Big then got bored.  
  
~~~   
  
The American lay on his bed, sweat poring off him. He had already soaked his bed once over, he was shivering yet seemed to be burning up.   
  
"What's wrong with him?" Skinner asked. At that moment Dr. Jekyll entered, supported by one of Nemo's sailors. He slowly moved over to the bed and began to examine the young man.  
  
"If he fell into the Thames as we know he did... I fear he has been poisoned by the foulness in the river." Dr. Jekyll said.  
  
TBC...  
  
Just a small note, the hour that Tom spent floating in the Thames was the same hour Mina was treating Jekyll in the last part.  
  
Please leave me a review! Let me know what you think!  
  
~Sethoz 


	5. Fire in his Flesh

Disclaimer: Okay, I still don't own LXG, do I look like I do? I also don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. We all clear on that? Good.  
  
Ash De Brie:- There, there *Pats Ash on the back* You never know, it might get better.  
  
Angharad:- I'm glad you like it.  
  
Clez:- yep, had to search for ages to work out what the message would look like in Morse Code, but got there in the end. :D True I am bulling poor Thomas a bit but you know what they say... It will get worst before it gets better.   
  
JC6:- Thank you so much!  
  
Graymoon74:- Yeah, the Thames would have been full of peoples 'waste' in 1899... A way to kill Smith? Well, if they knew what he was...  
  
LotRseer3350:- Well Tom didn't drown because he managed to reach the surface in time but he was floating under the wooden jetty so the League didn't see him.  
  
Capt.Cow:- wow, you think it's cool. Thanks!  
  
Niani:- I'm glad you think you like it. I can't helping leaving it at cliffys... ;)  
  
Enjoy this part! (Then leave a review.)  
  
The Bodyguard  
  
~~~  
  
Part Five:- Fire in his Flesh  
  
~~~  
  
"What are you going to do?" Skinner asked Dr. Jekyll as the latter moved slowly round his room, still slightly weak from his ordeal.  
  
//That's right Henry... tell the little sneak thief what you are going to do to the boy...\\ Edward Hyde muttered. Jekyll tried to ignore his alter ego and focused back on Skinner who seemed to be still waiting for an answer.  
  
"If we are lucky then the poison will still be in his stomach." Dr. Jekyll told him, finally finding what he was looking for, a small bottle, labeled 'Apomorphine'  
  
"I'm going to give him this medicine. It's an emetic so it should make him throw up, emptying his stomach of everything, including the poison." Dr. Jekyll finished. Skinner nodded to show he understood.  
  
"It will not be pleasant for Thomas." Dr. Jekyll said. "It is quite likely he will also bring up blood if he has a large quantity of poison in him." Jekyll trailed off, staring at the bottle with doubt in his mind.   
  
"It's possible that he will convulse, in which case he shouldn't be given an emetic but I don't know what he swallowed... I don't have a choice, I'm going to have to risk it, we need to get the poison out of him. If he does convulse, you and Captain Nemo will need to hold him down to stop him hurting himself."  
  
Skinner listened to all this with growing horror, as Dr. Jekyll began to stumble towards the room where Tom still lay. The thief moved after him and began to support the ill Doctor.  
  
"What happens if the poison has left the stomach?" Skinner asked, not entirely sure he wanted to hear an answer. Dr. Jekyll stopped and turned to face the white face of Skinner.  
  
"If the poison has reached his blood then all we can do is hope that Sawyer is strong enough to last..."  
  
"You mean if the poison is in his blood then there is nothing you can do?" Skinner asked in disbelief. Dr. Jekyll bowed his head in answer.   
  
"What are we doing hanging about here for then mate? We have an American to save." Skinner added, resuming his role as Jekyll's support.   
  
It took them a few more minutes to reach Tom's room. Mina looked up from where she was changing one of his blankets.  
  
"He complains of being cold, yet he is on fire when you touch him... and still he sweats and shivers." Mina said. Dr. Jekyll opened the bottle and tipped out two tablets onto his hand.  
  
"He has been lucid then?" Jekyll asked. Mina shook her head.  
  
"He was awake for a few minutes but he didn't know where he was. He seemed to be in the grip of a nightmare and was calling repeatedly for someone called 'Huck'. It was about this time that he complained of being cold." Mina told him. "What are you giving him?" She asked, noticing the tablet's in Dr. Jekyll's hand.  
  
"An emetic, to try and clear the poison from his system. It's quite a potent one though, the normal reaction to the drug is only five minutes." Jekyll said. He turned to face Captain Nemo, who was standing silently in a corner.  
  
"We might need your help Captain, if he starts to convulse." The Doctor told him. Nemo lowed his head to show he understood.   
  
Dr. Jekyll told a deep breath as Mina carefully maneuvered the sick boy to a half upright position. She then picked up a glass of water. Jekyll tipped the two pills into Tom's mouth and used the water to help wash them down.   
  
It was a worrying sign - to the doctor - that Tom Sawyer hadn't put up more of a fight when they gave him the tablets. He should at least have moved but the young man had simply swallowed.  
  
The five minutes crawled by. Each member of the League lost in their own thoughts. Both Dr. Henry Jekyll and Madam Mina were both trying to work out if the emetic was working, if it was likely he would start to spasm or what - if anything - they could do if the poison has reached the blood.  
  
Captain Nemo was trying to piece together everything they knew about Smith and his secret boss. Was there a reason Smith has tried to buy Sawyer or was it simply a case of taking the first member of the League they could find. It was even possible that the attempted kidnap had nothing to do with the League and that Smith wanted Agent Sawyer because of something in the American's past.  
  
The simple fact was that they knew too little about this Smith and they had no idea what he wanted, who he was or how to stop him.  
  
It was impossible to know what Skinner was thinking about.  
  
Suddenly Tom gave a weak little cough. This was instantly followed by a harsh cough that sounded as if he was coughing up his very stomach. He gave a groan then turned on his side and threw up.  
  
Tom was sick again and again, violently bringing up everything in him. Skinner turned his head slightly as Tom threw up yet again, only this time he brought up mainly blood.  
  
Then he simply stopped. Dr. Jekyll and Mina looked at each.  
  
"Do you think it is over?" Mina asked. As if in answer to this question Tom gave a sharp jerk in his bed, his eyes open but not seeing. Tom gave another jerk.  
  
"He's convulsing!" Dr. Jekyll yelled, gesturing Nemo and Skinner forward. The two men held Tom down as he convulsed violently on the bed, his body twisting in some parody of a dance. Dr. Jekyll closed his eyes for a second. He had been afraid of this... and they could do nothing but let it run it's course.  
  
//Well, you managed to kill the brat. Congratulations.\\ Hyde told him. Jekyll's eyes snapped back open as he took in the sight in front of him. Tom had finally stopped convulsing, his limbs twitching slightly. Blood had tickled out of the side of his mouth and dribbled down towards his chin. The young man turned his head slightly, his green eye's fixed on Dr. Jekyll, though it was doubtful if he was actually seeing the doctor.  
  
"He's bleeding!" Skinner said, expressing a need to state the obvious. Dr. Jekyll hurried over to Tom Sawyer's side and began to check him.  
  
"I think he just bit his lip..." He said after about ten minutes. Jekyll turned to face the other's who were all standing staring at him, the worry clear on their faces.  
  
"I believe we were in time." he said, allowing a smile to blossom on his lips.  
  
"You mean the eme... emebre... the thing you gave Sawyer worked?" Skinner asked. Mina turned her head to hide her smile.  
  
"The emetic. Yes, it looked like it did work." Dr. Jekyll said. He began to flap his hands slightly, guiding Nemo and Skinner out of the room.  
  
"I need to clean up the room now and we need to clean up young Agent Sawyer. You two would just get in the way." Jekyll said.   
  
Nemo nodded and walked away, heading to his main chambers. Hopefully one of his sailors would have retuned there with news of Smith.  
  
Skinner wandered off, not knowing what he should do. In the end he deiced go for a wander around the decks to see what was going on and if there was anything... interesting was going on.  
  
~~~   
  
Smith leaned back in his chair, idly blowing smoke rings. He was waiting. Everything was in place, all he has to do was wait until the time was right.  
  
The Egyptian allowed a cruel smile to grace his lips as he pulled a small ornate dagger from it's sheaf. He let it glint in the semi-light in the room, the light capturing the letters inscribed on it. This blade was different from the many other weapons that Smith carried. This would be used on one person and one person only.  
  
Special Agent Tom Sawyer.  
  
As soon as he had the American in his power and under Mr. Big's control they would be able to prepare for the next stage. Smith's thoughts got no further than that as he found it pointless to plan something he had done time after time, each time the victim was different in race, color or gender. Yet somehow they all blended together in his mind, making it impossible to remember which had been first and which had been last. He knew that once the American had done what they wanted him to do, Smith would also forget his name and his face.  
  
It was not a fact that partially bothered Smith.  
  
As he placed the dagger back into it's sheaf a thought occurred to him. He had underestimated the skill of the League once before - there was a slim chance that even after the boy was taken they would come after them.  
  
Maybe he should plan even further ahead, just this once.   
  
Smith placed his pipe on the arm of his chair then walked out of the dingy pub he had been sitting in. A few seconds later another man left the pub and began to walk in the same direction as the Egyptian.  
  
Smith reached a private house and walked up the steps, letting himself in with a key. The man behind him walked on past the house, not evening giving it a tiny glance. He wandered along like a man drunk. When he turned the corner though his whole poster changed and the man began to run, heading right for the Nautilus.  
  
~~~   
  
Nemo frowned. All of his men bar one had already returned and all had returned with the same news. There had been no sign of Smith anywhere in the city.  
  
//It is possible he has left London, in which case we shall have to widen our search and hope one of our contacts is lucky.\\ Even as Nemo thought this, his last sailor can running in, dressed as a drunk. One look at the man's face was enough to convince Captain Nemo that he had news of some kind.  
  
"Captain, I found him!" the sailor said with pride. "He is staying in a private house in the area of parliament."  
  
"Good." Nemo said. The sailor nodded and walked out of the room, to get changed into his normal clothes. Nemo also left the room, to find the rest of the League. Dr. Jekyll and Mina were still working in Tom Sawyer's room. The Indian was only mildly surprise to see Skinner's coat and hat floating outside of the closed door.  
  
"There was nothing else to do okay?" Skinner said defensively. Nemo nodded, his face a perfect mask as always. At that moment the door opened and Mina stepped out.  
  
"His still has his fever." She said with a sigh. Then she noticed a glint in Captain Nemo's eye.   
  
"You have some news?" she asked. The Captain nodded.  
  
"We located Smith." He said. Mina's eyes became hard.  
  
"Then let us show him what happens when he messes with the League." She said, the anger all too clearly written on her face. Dr. Jekyll poked his head around the door.  
  
"We will show him, but not tonight. Everyone needs their sleep. He should still be there in the morning." The Doctor said. Mina opened her mouth to argue but he shook his head.  
  
"Not tonight, weariness will cause mistakes." He said. Mina lowed her head in submission then walked off down the corridor in search of yet more clean and dry towels for Sawyer. Jekyll sighed and pulled his head back into the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
He sat down by the young man and stared at the troubled face. Tom seemed to be caught again in the grip of a nightmare. Jekyll shook his head sadly, the boy had demons of his own, demons no-one seemed to be able to help him with.   
  
It was a weakness of the American's. Dr. Henry Jekyll made a mental note to try and do something about the nightmares when Tom was well enough.  
  
Jekyll placed his hand on Tom Sawyer's forehead, dismayed to notice that a fire still raged under his skin. If it didn't come down soon or became any higher, Jekyll would be forced to use an ice bath. The only reason he hadn't done this yet was the fear that the shock the ice would give him would be too much for his already weak system to handle.  
  
Under Jekyll's hand Tom stirred slightly, lost in his dreams.  
  
He dreamed that he was lying on a funeral pyre, awake but unable to move or speak. Next to him stood a man robed in black, a fiery torch in his hand.  
  
"This is the end..." A voice said from the shadows, the voice belonging to none other than Bhishma, blood pouring from his chest.  
  
"Yes, this is the end." The robed figure echoed. Tom could do nothing but watch at the man held out the fire. Suddenly there was a noise and two figures in sparkling white came running towards the pyre. Though he couldn't see the face under the hood, Tom could sense that the man in black was smiling.  
  
He let go of the torch.  
  
The fire sprang up all around Tom and still he couldn't move. The robed figure vanished, as did Bhishma and the two in white.   
  
He was alone. Trapped, burning, all alone.  
  
TBC...  
  
Okay, Okay, I admit it, both the title of this part and Tom's dream was inspired by Lord of the Rings and more importantly Faramir's near burning experience that happens in 'Return of the King.  
  
A few notes on the emetic used, Apomorphine.  
  
emetic , substance that produces vomiting. Emetics are not used to treat poisoning by strong acids or alkalis, petroleum distillates such as kerosene, or substances causing convulsions.  
  
Apomorphine is a potent emetic that can cause complete emptying of the stomach within a few minutes of ingestion. Apomorphine was once commercially available for humans but was taken off the market almost a decade ago. Apomorphine stimulates dopaminergic receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone and the onset of reaction to the drug is a mere 5 minutes.  
  
Please, please now you have read this, leave a review!  
  
~Sethoz 


	6. A Good Old Fashioned Diversion

Disclaimer: I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. We all clear on that? Now, here's the normal shout outs;   
  
Clez:- You mean you haven't seen RotK or read the book? *dies from shock* sowwy for almost spoiling it. I know, I wanna help Tom, but there is Tom cuteness in this part. ;)  
  
American-Agent:- Glad you're enjoying it and there is 'evil' and then there is evil.  
  
LotRseer3350:- I just love LotR, esp Faramir and Pippin *hugs them both*   
  
Silent Bob 546:- Glad you're enjoying it, hope you like this part as well.  
  
~~~  
  
The Bodyguard  
  
~~~  
  
Part Six:- A Good Old Fashioned Diversion  
  
The pale rays of a weak sun shone down on the Nautilus. Inside, Dr. Jekyll was trying to make his pouting patient see reason.  
  
"Agent Sawyer, you only regained consciousness a few hours ago. This time yesterday you were poisoned. There is no possible way you can join in with this mission." Jekyll said, frowning at the young American.   
  
The fever which had held Tom Sawyer in it's grip for nearly 24 hours had come down, making his temperature a more normal 99 degrees Fahrenheit. When Tom had woken, the first thing he had done was ask what happened.   
  
Mina had filled him in on everything that had happened after the death of Merl. Tom had listened intently. When she reached the point of the planned attack, Tom's eyes had become darker but he held his tongue. It was only when Mina had left the room, to inform Nemo and Skinner that Tom had woken up that Tom had announced his intention to join the League on the mission. Jekyll had then spent the next five minutes trying to convince him that he was simply not well enough to take part.  
  
At that point the door had opened and the other three members of the League walked in, a smile on the white face of Skinner.  
  
"Hello mate, glad to see you finally deiced to grace us with your presence." Skinner said cheerfully. Tom gave a harsh laugh, his throat still painfully sore from the continuos throwing up.  
  
"Good to see you too Skinner." Tom whispered.   
  
"Mina, perhaps you will be able to convince our friend here that he is not well enough to be a part of the planned attack on Smith." Jekyll said. Tom raised an eyebrow, a betrayed expression on his face.   
  
"Traitor." he muttered. Mina turned her face towards Tom.  
  
"Do you want to die?" she asked him. "We almost lost you last night, if you go on this mission you will almost certainly die." She stopped and an uneasy silence descended on the group. Finally Tom spoke, the sulky look still on his face.  
  
"Fine, I'll say... but can I at least wait outside on the dock? Fresh air, sun, all those things that are supposed to help?" Tom pleaded. Jekyll and Mina exchanged looks. They had no doubt that once they left Tom would try to follow.   
  
"Of course you may Agent Sawyer." Captain Nemo said, surprising everyone. "If Dr. Jekyll agrees of course. I will have three of my sailors wait with you to insure you have everything you need."  
  
The smile that had crept to Tom's face when Nemo began to talk faded and was replaced by a frown.   
  
"Perfect." Dr. Jekyll said.  
  
~~~   
  
Nemo was bent over the plans of Smith's house. Around the table sat Dr. Jekyll, Mina and Skinner. There was no talking as they all waited for Nemo to finish his examination of the building.  
  
"I think a diversion is needed." Nemo said at last, looking up from the plan of the building. "There are two entrances, one at the front, one at the back. If we attack at the front, we can draw out the majority of Smith's force. Then we attack from the back and hopefully take out Smith."  
  
"He will suspect a diversion." Jekyll said. Mina shook her head.  
  
"Not if I am the diversion." She said. "If I attack the front recklessly, pretending that Agent Sawyer is still grievously wounded, Smith may believe I am on my own." she looked at the male members of the League. Nemo nodded.  
  
"Very well. Dr. Jekyll, I am afraid we will need Mr. Hyde for this one. Myself, Hyde and some of my sailors will wait five minutes after Madam Mina attacks. Then we will enter through the back door. Mr. Skinner, I want you to search the house for any papers or any clue towards the identity of the real villain of this piece. Are we in agreement?" Nemo said, clearly outlaying the plan. Everyone in the room nodded.  
  
"Then we leave in an hour." Nemo added.  
  
~~~   
  
Mina was in her room, getting changed into what she called her 'fighting outfit'. It was the same outfit she had worn that cold day in Mongolia when she had killed Gray. Even as her mind traveled along that all too familiar road, remembering every move they made during the fight, remembering every word they had exchanged to each other, Mina's eyes were drawn to a canvas, the painting on it facing the wall.  
  
She moved slowly towards it, slipping her twin daggers into their appointed place before lifting the painting down and turning it around.  
  
The mocking smile of Dorian Gray awaited her. Hissing in surprise she dropped the painting. A second later and she was not even sure why she had been so surprised. The smile had been there the last time she had looked at the painting. It was the smile that had nearly always been on the face of the real Dorian Gray.  
  
With a sigh Mina picked the painting back up and placed it back onto the wall, the face of Dorian facing the wall as always.  
  
~~~   
  
Skinner put on his long black coat. He pulled out his greasepaint and stared at it. Then he placed it on the table next to his hat. There would be little point in wearing either his greasepaint or his hat if his mission was to sneak.   
  
There was no smile on his invisible face as he stared moodily into the mirror. Normally Skinner was anything but moody but this was different. This was a life or death mission.  
  
Still, Skinner would deal with it the only way he knew how. By making a joke and driving the rest of the League batty.  
  
~~~   
  
Nemo was pacing the bridge, stopping every now and then to check the plan of Smith's house. Something about the place didn't ring true to the Indian. He couldn't understand why Smith was staying in the area unless he planned to make another attempt to kidnap Agent Sawyer.  
  
Mentally, Captain Nemo made a not to double the men looking after Sawyer to be on the safe side, though he knew the American would hate the thought of being looked after. Being baby-sat, he would call it.  
  
~~~   
  
Dr. Jekyll was counting his number of potions. He picked up four bottles and regarded them for a long moment. Then with shaking fingers he placed one of the clear bottles back in the case. Inside he could hear Hyde softly roaring in anger at the fact there was only three potions.  
  
"Remember Edward, this is the man who shoot you. It would be better to help Nemo and the rest." He said.  
  
//Very well Henry, I will help but only because I want to see the man scream as I rip parts of his flesh from his still alive body.\\ Edward Hyde answered. Dr. Jekyll shuddered slightly at the mental image Edward's words had conjured up.  
  
~~~   
  
Tom Sawyer lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, a sulky pout on his face. He was looking at the ceiling because he did not have the strength to move to look at anything else. The thing Tom hated above everything was this feeling of being helpless. The fact that he was at the mercy of someone else - even if this someone else was a friend, he was still at their mercy and Tom didn't like that.  
  
He let out a cross between a groan and a sigh as he continued to count the dots on his ceiling. There wasn't anything else to do, no books within reach. He couldn't even clean his Winchester because it was too far away.  
  
~~~   
  
One of Nemo's sailors carried out a chair, another brought out some blankets. Finally, Tom himself was helped out. The rebellious look that was already on his face only deepened when he saw the chair laden with blankets.  
  
"I'm not some weak invalid." Tom said. Dr. Jekyll simply looked at him then transferred his gaze to the sailor that was helping Tom.  
  
"Really?" Mina said dryly. Tom blushed but stopped auguring, allowing himself to be lowed into the chair. All around him the six sailors were also sitting on chairs, to give the appearance of relaxing.  
  
At that moment, from the belly of the Nautilus came a roar of a engine. Tom looked behind him and widened his eyes.  
  
"No way..." He whispered in surprise. Out of the hold came an automobile, just like the one Tom had destroyed nearly four months ago. Nemo smiled slightly at the varying degrees of surprise on everyone's faces.  
  
"This is my new and improved automobile." He said. "Shall we proceed?" Nemo asked. Skinner instantly jumped into the automobile, Dr. Jekyll climbing in the front next to Nemo. Mina climbed in the back with Skinner. As the automobile drove off Mina turned her head to look back at Tom.   
  
The American agent was staring after it with longing on his face. Mina shuddered slightly, why did she suddenly have the feeling that she would not see him again for a long time? Mentally Mina shook herself for such a silly thought and concentrated on the information Nemo was telling them.  
  
"The buildings on either side of Smith's building are empty. This will give us an advantage. Madam Mina, we will drop you off a few streets away, so any of Smith's men will only see you coming. The rest of us will wait five minutes as planned then attack from the back." Captain Nemo said. Mina nodded, all worry about Tom Sawyer pushed from her head.  
  
"We can not go any further." Nemo announced. Mina nodded and climbed back out of the car. She turned her head towards the building where Smith was staying, already feeling her eyes change as she began to run.  
  
Mina had to give the appearance of a woman who on the edge and she was determined to play her part to the full. She charged up the steps of Smith's house and smashed her body against the door. The wood creaked under her supernatural strength. At the third charge the wood gave way and Mina was inside the building. Instantly men began to charge towards her but to the Vampire they were no more than insets.   
  
Mina was not aware of time as she fought, drinking from some of the more unfortunate humans, snapping the necks of the more lucky ones. She was brought back to earth only when there was no more necks to snap, no more people to kill.   
  
It was at this point when the League made their dramatic entrance, Mr. Hyde roaring as he found only dead bodies. Nemo and Mina exchanged looks as they stared at the empty room, a staircase going upwards, one door open at the top.  
  
"I do not like this..." Mina said, as she swiftly counted the bodies. A dozen at most. Not enough... and the Egyptian calling himself 'Smith' was not among the dead. Mina and Nemo climbed the stairs towards the open door, while Hyde crashed around the ground floor, looking for anything alive to kill.   
  
Inside the room Mina and Nemo entered was a single table, dust everywhere. One the table lay a single piece of paper. Mina advanced towards it, the feeling of dread increasing. On the paper was two words.  
  
'Too Late.'  
  
Mina picked up the paper, not understanding the meaning of the words. She looked over to Nemo and suddenly gasped as a possible meaning hit her.  
  
"Sawyer." She whispered, dropping the paper and running out of the room, ignoring Nemo's calls. She rushed down the staircase and into the street. Dimly she was aware of Nemo behind her, no doubt heading to his automobile. She let herself change, calling her bats to her as she flew into the air.  
  
Mina and Captain Nemo reached the Nautilus at the same time. The area outside was just as they had left it but for two small details.   
  
Every sailors was asleep. They didn't wake at Nemo's calls or when he tried to shake them awake.  
  
"What evil sorcery is this?" he asked. Mina wasn't listing, her whole attention taking up by the other detail.  
  
The chair that had held Tom Sawyer was empty.  
  
TBC...  
  
There you have it. *throws cookies to every reader* Hope you all enjoyed, don't forget to leave a review!  
  
~Sethoz 


	7. And Your Heart's full of Hate

Disclaimer: Umm... what is their to say about this part? Please don't hate me? *puppy dog eyes* I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big.  
  
The title of this chapter is taken from a song by 'The Goo Goo Dolls' called 'So Far Away'. Anyone who knows this song, will know what the line after this one is. That's the title of the next chapter and therefor a little hint. ; )  
  
Clez:- Me mean? No! You mean! Meanie! Yes, they were a bit stupid weren't they... here's your up-date.  
  
Angharad:- Do I delight in tormenting you? Yes!  
  
RogueCajun:- I need to post cliffhangers! We needs it, we wants it, we must have the precious! Oops, wrong fandom...  
  
Silent Bob 546:- Have another cookie! *gives cookie* Glad you're enjoying this!  
  
Roz:- *watches as the cliff Roz is standing on crumbles* Here's the next part. Enjoy!  
  
Capt.Cow:- I write! See?  
  
Graymoon74:- I'm glad you... liked it, and mentioned the paper bit. Hope this part creeps you out as well... *grins*  
  
Sugaricing:- He is very adorable...   
  
The Bodyguard.  
  
~~~  
  
Part Seven:- And Your Heart's full of Hate...  
  
~~~  
  
"We were tricked." Mina said, her gloved hands gripping tightly the back of a wooden chair. "Smith must have known he had been followed and used the whole house as a diversion to leave the way open to capturing Agent Sawyer." She raised an eyebrow as the door to the briefing room opened, Skinner and Jekyll staggering in.  
  
"Hell, Nemo, why did you do go and leave me and old Jekyll here to walk all the way back?" Skinner asked.   
  
"Agent Sawyer has been captured." Nemo said shortly. "While we were attacking that house, Smith and his men came here."  
  
"W-what about the m-men Agent Sawyer was with? The sailors." Dr. Jekyll asked. Mina answered without looking at the Doctor.  
  
"They seem to have be knocked unconsciousness by something that leave no trace in their blood." Mina said. "If it was airborne, then it left no trace I could detect with my nose."   
  
"If you could spare some time and check on them, Dr. Jekyll?" Captain Nemo asked. Dr. Jekyll instantly nodded.  
  
//Why bother? Let the men die Henry.\\ Hyde said with boredom.  
  
//Not now Edward!\\ Snapped Jekyll. The only time he could ever muster the courage to really argue with Mr. Hyde was when his Doctor ability's were needed. Dr. Jekyll left the room to treat his new patients.  
  
Mina tapped the back of the chair with her gloved finger for a moment, then pushed herself violently away from it.  
  
"I am going to go into the city." she announced. Captain Nemo suddenly looked the slightly bit uneasy.  
  
"Are you sure it is wise to go out alone?" he asked. "I could send a sailor out with you, if you wish..."  
  
"No thank you Captain. I am more than capable of looking after myself... however if it makes you feel better I will take my silver daggers with me." Mina answered, then left the room.  
  
She had only gone one hundred yards before Skinner caught up with her.  
  
"What are you going to do?" He asked her.   
  
"I'm going to do what I must. It is possible I may be able to pick up Agent Sawyer's scent." Mina replied. Even as she said it, she knew there was little hope of being able to tell Tom's scent from everyone else's in London but at least she would be doing something.   
  
Anything would be better than just sitting in the Nautilus waiting for some kind of news.  
  
~~~   
  
Smith walked into Mr. Big's room, a proud smirk on his face. He bowed to the shadowy figure in front of him.  
  
"I have Agent Sawyer, Boss." he said. The shadow that was Mr. Big nodded.  
  
"You know what to do..." he hissed in a raspy voice. Smith nodded once.   
  
"I fear the dreams have already started with this one." Smith said. Mr. Big simply waved a hand.  
  
"Does this make any difference?" Mr. Big asked. Smith shook his head, a twisted smile on his features.  
  
"Not at all." The Egyptian said. He turned to go then paused. "Would you like to see this one?" he asked. There was no movement from the shadow and Smith was starting to think Mr. Big was ignoring him when the man suddenly spoke.  
  
"Very well." Mr. Big said. Smith clapped his hands. Instantly four of his sailors entered, carrying a stretcher between them. Resting on the stretcher was Thomas Sawyer, sleeping peacefully. His face showed no shadow or trace of the pain that would find him in his waking hours. Mr. Big seemed to be staring at the American, though it was impossible to be sure due to the shadows.  
  
"Begin." Mr. Big said, then stood up and walked out of the room. Smith's smile became even more twisted.  
  
~~~   
  
A stone room.  
  
In the middle of the room, a well.  
  
Tom advanced slowly, unable to tear his eyes from the well in front of him. The 25-year-old knew that this was a dream, that he was not really here. Yet he couldn't turn away and was compelled to move closer and closer to the stone well. As he neared the well, he noticed three stone steps leading up to the top of the well and to the blackness in it. He climbed them, walking forward, until he was on the lip of the well.  
  
"So this is the end of the story..." Bhishma said, stepping forward from the shadows. As the American turned to face the Indian, a wind sprang up around the two, sand whipping at Tom's face, making his blonde hair fly in front of his face.  
  
"So this is to be your fate." Bhishma said slyly, pointing at the well. Tom slowly began to turn back.  
  
"Not yet." A new voice said, a hand stopping Tom from facing the well. "Dreams are supposed to be a place of refuge, not this place." It was a female voice, female arm and hand, but not a voice or body that Tom knew.  
  
Tom turned away from the well and Bhishma. Instead he was faced with a nightmarish vision of a dead face, skin rotting and hanging off it, the mouth frozen in a grimace. The skeleton was wearing rags. The only thing that was not rotten or falling apart was a shining dagger in the belt. In his horror Tom took a step backwards and fell into the well, his eyes closing.   
  
Tom opened his eyes.  
  
~~~  
  
The place he found himself in was not anywhere he knew. He was in a stone gray room, the only thing in it beside himself was the chains he was in. Tom pulled at the chains, knowing as he did so that they were un-likely to be weak. They were not. Yet the Agent continued to pull at them until his wrists were raw and bloody. Finally he was forced to admit defeat and leaned against the wall, sighing loudly.  
  
Time passed.  
  
He didn't know how long he had been left in the room, with no light and no food. No way to count time as it passed him by.  
  
He was being to doze off when the door to his cell finally opened. Smith entered the room and stared at Tom, his eyebrow raising and a sneer on his lips as he looked at Tom's escape attempt.  
  
"Really, I expected better from you Agent Sawyer." Smith said. Tom gave the other man a startled look at the mention of his name.  
  
"You seem to have the advantage over me... and what is your name?" Tom asked, checking over the Egyptian to see if he had any weapons.  
  
"Yes, I seem to have the advantage over you in many ways. You can call me... Smith. And you can call my Boss, 'Master'." Smith said, a gloating smile on his face. Tom laughed.  
  
"Master?" Tom said. "Not a chance."  
  
"Oh you will, boy. And you will soon come to know my name and fear will spark through you like a warm wine." Smith said. "Shall we begin?" he asked, before punching the unprepared Agent in the gut. Tom gasped in pain as his breath was knocked out of him. The older man rained punch after punch until finally, Tom's body couldn't take anymore. With a last jerk as he was hit in the side, Tom's consciousness mind fled his body, retreating to the darkness where he couldn't be hurt.  
  
Smith stopped and looked at the ashen face Tom. Then, with disgust he spun on his heel and left the cell.  
  
~~~ Tom didn't wake the next time Smith visited him. His mind didn't register the battering his body was receiving.   
  
It was nearly ten hours before Special Agent Thomas Sawyer of the American Secret Service opened his eyes again. The hours trickled past without anyone checking in on their prisoner.  
  
~~~  
  
Mrs. Wilhelmina 'Mina' Harker entered the room where Tom was imprisoned, her face slightly flushed.  
  
"Mina!" Tom cried. "Am I glad to see you! Help me get out of these." he added, using his head to point at his chains. Mina moved closer to him and stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face.  
  
"Mina?" Tom asked. "What are you waiting for?"  
  
"I can't protect you anymore." Mina said softly. Tom gave her a puzzled look.   
  
"What are you talking about?" He asked. "I don't want you to protect me, just help me!" Mina carried on talking as if Tom Sawyer hadn't spoken.  
  
"People who protect you die in horrible ways Agent Sawyer." Mina said, drawling out a dagger from her coat. Tom's eyes were drawn to the way the light glinted off the metal, the dagger was not one that she usually carried around, yet the young man recognized the dagger somehow...  
  
... It was the dagger from his dream.  
  
Tom couldn't take his eyes from the way the dagger moved in the light. He was so taken up by the dagger that he didn't notice Mina's sharp nail until it dragged down his left cheek. Tom gave a cry of pain and jerked his head away. Mina smiled cruelly and slowly lifted he finger and licked off the blood off it. She licked her lips.  
  
"Such fear..." Mina said, her eyes glued to the little trickle of blood running down Tom's face. Tom's eyes however were glued to Mina's neck. There was no scar... Tom's eyes widened slightly at this.  
  
"You're not Mina." Tom breathed. Mina tore her gaze from the blood.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Mina asked. Tom frowned.  
  
"You're not Mina." He snapped. "You don't have a scar from where you were bitten by a Vampire." he added. 'Mina' raised her hand to her neck.  
  
"Clever boy. Clever, clever boy, to notice such a small detail!" 'Mina' snarled, moving forward and grabbing Tom around the neck and squeezing. Tom gasped for air, unable to fight the person who looked like his friend. The face of Mina disintegrated, to revel to Tom the face of Smith.  
  
"This better boy?" Smith asked, letting go of the American. Tom didn't answer straight away, too concerned with getting the oxygen he needed.  
  
"... I don't like tricks..." He finally gasped out. "Or people pretending to be something or someone they are not." Tom finished. This answer seemed to amuse the Egyptian.  
  
"Really?" Smith asked. "You want to see the truth?" he asked, smiling at the uncertain nod Tom gave him.   
  
It was only fair to educate the lad after all. The Egyptian leaned even closer to Tom.  
  
Smith showed the Agent his true face and Tom couldn't stop the scream that bubbled up from his throat or stop the vomit that followed after.  
  
TBC...  
  
Well, leave a review please! More reviews, the faster I up-date!  
  
~Sethoz 


	8. Cuz Your Mind's Full of Fear

Disclaimer: I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. Not much happens in this part I'm afraid.   
  
The title of this chapter is taken from a song by 'The Goo Goo Dolls' called 'So Far Away'.   
  
Clez:- Shapeshifter? Sorry buddy, Smith's something else. ;)  
  
Graymoon74:- Have you been looking at my notes? Here's more, with yet more Tom angst...  
  
Angharad:- You'll find out soon, don't worry.  
  
Silent Bob 546:- Cookies! Cookies! *gives you yet more*  
  
Capt.Cow:- Blood, gore, vomit... yep.  
  
Rayne:- aww, thanks for calling it 'excellent', hope you like this part!  
  
Sugaricing:- Ah, but Smith isn't his real name, now is it. It's just what he calls himself... to try and blend in.  
  
The Bodyguard.  
  
~~~  
  
Part Eight:- ... Cuz Your Mind's full of Fear  
  
~~~  
  
Tom Sawyer was really being to miss his little stone cell. After being sick on Smith, the Egyptian had unlocked his chains and dragged the un-protesting American out of the room, along a stone corridor and into another room.  
  
This new room was a stark white. The sheer brightness of the white hurt Tom's eyes and he cried out weakly as Smith roughly dragged him to a white table. He had no strength to do anything else though - the punishment his body had taken left him feeling too weak to do anything more than let a feeble moan of pain as he was strapped down to the table.  
  
Then he was simply left alone. The hard surface of the table prevented his aching muscles a chance to rest and heal. The bright whiteness of the room and the harsh light above his head meant that the possibility of sleep and therefor a temporary escape was denied him.  
  
A few floors above him Smith was pacing backwards and forwards in the room he had been given. His Boss was starting to get impatient, the previous... "volunteers" had crumbled much more faster than this one. Smith didn't know why it was so important to Mr. Big that the next chosen one should be this little nobody but his Boss had been very insistent.  
  
Roughly three months ago, Mr. Big had suddenly changed his mind about the chosen one and demanded that Smith track and capture Agent Sawyer. Still, it was not Smith's place to question Mr. Big's motives.  
  
His place was simply to make sure Agent Sawyer was ready in time.  
  
"I think it is time to move onto the next stage..." Smith said to the empty room.  
  
~~~   
  
Tom closed his eyes, the bright light burning through his eyelids. He blinked rapidly, tears leaking from the edge of his eyes. Suddenly without any warning the lights went out. Tom breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
It was then that the noise started.  
  
A continuos droning noise, that just carried on and on. Tom let out a scream of anger as he realized the noise would prevent him from sleeping and also cause him discomfort, just like the light.  
  
Outside the door, Smith smiled, then walked back to his room.  
  
It wouldn't be long now.  
  
~~~   
  
The League were still in London. Searching the city had proved fruitless, there had been no sign of Smith or Agent Sawyer. Captain Nemo was of the belief that neither were in London anymore and had widened the search.  
  
So far though, they had no new data to go upon.  
  
Nemo was seated at his desk in his own room, writing notes with astonishing speed when Skinner came rushing in. The Indian blinked slightly at the image he was presented with. A floating bandage in mid-air, where Skinner's arm would be, was the only indication of Skinner.  
  
"Mr. Skinner?" Nemo asked in surprise. There was a snort of disgust.  
  
"Don't ask mate." Skinner said in disgust, flopping down on an empty chair. Nemo raised an eyebrow as Skinner carried on. "Bloody walls, jumping out at innocent people walking..." he continued to mutter, seeming to have forgotten that he had told Nemo not to ask.  
  
"Is there something you wanted Mr. Skinner?" Nemo asked, after listening to Skinner rant about the evil of walls for nearly ten minutes.  
  
"What? Oh, yeah, I think I might have some information on that Smith and his Boss." Skinner said. Nemo looked interested.  
  
"Pray go on." The Captain said. Skinner arranged himself more comfortably and picked up the bottle of brandy of Nemo's desk, poring himself a large glass of it.  
  
"I was in this pub, trying to find out if anyone there knew anything about Smith." Skinner began, burping at the same time. His breath positively reeked of alcohol.  
  
"Found a man who claimed to have been employed by Smith at one time... well, I had to get him talking didn't I." Skinner said, as if he could sense Nemo thought he was drunk. Nemo didn't answer.  
  
"Anyway this man said that Smith worked for someone else. Didn't know that much about this man except he was an Englishman and went by the name of 'Mr. Big'." Skinner said, drinking his brandy.  
  
"That does not tell us much." Nemo said. Skinner picked up the bottle and pored himself another glass.  
  
"Ah, but I haven't finished yet." Skinner said smugly. "This man told me he saw Mr. Big once... said the man wore a black cloak to hide himself and a gold mask to cover his face." Skinner stopped and drank the rest of Nemo's brandy.  
  
"Oh yeah... and Mr. Big has a place up in Scotland somewhere." Skinner added.  
  
"What?" Nemo said.  
  
"I said, Mr. Big has a place up in Scotland somewhere. I dunno where, the person I was talking to said he didn't know where, only that Mr. Big is up somewhere in the North of Scotland." With that, Skinner hiccuped, then passed out, falling onto Nemo's desk.  
  
Nemo stared at the still bandage for a few moments.  
  
"Mr. Skinner?" he said, hoping for some kind of answer. He got none. The Indian stood up and made his way around his desk, his hands reaching out to try and find the invisible man. After a brief check, Nemo was confident that the thief had simply passed out due to drink.  
  
Captain Nemo left his room and headed towards Mina's room, his feet making no noise as he passed Dr. Jekyll's room. The Doctor was sitting in a chair, writing something in his dairy as Nemo walked past. After a minute or two Nemo reached Mina's room. The door was open, Mina bent over her table, conducting some kind of science experiment.  
  
"Madam Mina?" Nemo said, attracting Mina's attention. She turned from her experiment.  
  
"Yes Captain?" She said.  
  
"Skinner found out some information. He believes that Smith is somewhere in the North of Scotland, though he hasn't been able to fins out where." Nemo said.  
  
"At least that is something." Mina answered. "What do you plan to do with this information?" she asked.  
  
"I believe we should head up to Scotland and search the more likely places while our other contacts continue to try and find out more." Nemo told her. Mina nodded, to show that she agreed.   
  
"Captain... I have something here I wish to show you." Mina said, pointing at the experiment on her desk. Nemo moved closer, as Mina held up a little vial with a gray powder in it.  
  
"I took this from the jetty where we first encountered Smith. When I placed it in this vial, it was blood, Smith's blood." Mina said. Nemo couldn't stop the little gasp of surprise as he heard what she said.  
  
"And now...?" He said, staring at the gray powder with interest. Mina raised a delicate eyebrow.  
  
"It still has all the trace elements of blood but..." Mina paused and frowned. "It's so old... it's as if this blood was somehow split then survived for thousands of years. But it only left Smith's body three days ago." Mina finished.  
  
"So what does this mean?" Nemo asked her. She carefully placed the vial back on her table and stood up, stretching her muscles, twisting her neck.  
  
"It either means that somehow someone switched the vials or... Smith is so old that when his blood is separate from his body it returns to the state is should normally be."  
  
~~~   
  
Tom had long ago given up trying to be quiet. He cried openly, the pain caused by his beatings, the light and the sound simply too much. Even when the sound was suddenly cut off he carried on whimpering, apparently having no idea that he was being given a short break from the pain.  
  
It took Tom five minutes for the information to penetrate his tired brain. Then he stopped crying, gasping harshly as he tried to bring his breath under control. He closed his eyes and soon fell into sleep.  
  
The dream girl was waiting for him.  
  
At first, Tom didn't notice her. He was too taken up with examine his surroundings. He appeared to be standing in a wood, sunlight shinning down on him. There was also some soft music playing, but he couldn't find the source of it.  
  
"This is a place of peace." The dream girl said. Tom jumped, recognizing the voice. It was the same voice that had stopped him from looking into the well in his last dream. The girl stepped out from behind a tree, looking at him. She wore a simple white dress, a dagger in her simple brown belt.  
  
As Tom's eyes fell on the dagger he gave a gasp and backed away from her. It was the same dagger in his pervious dream, the same dagger that Smith carried around with him. The dream girl looked down at the dagger then back up at Tom.  
  
"This dagger has long been a tool of evil." she said slowly. "But that does not make it evil... and this is a place of peace, where you can rest." Tom eyed her warily as she held out a hand to him.  
  
"Come. I want to show you something." she said, a flicker of a smile on her face. "Before you have to wake up."  
  
~~~   
  
Tom Sawyer lay on the table, a faint smile on his face. Smith entered the room and stared down at Tom for a long second before giving a snarl of anger at the look of peace on the young man's face.  
  
He untied Tom, the boy sagging in his arms, offering no resistant. Quickly he began to drag the still form of Tom back into his normal stone cell.   
  
//He may be at peace now... but when he wakes up his mind should be ready...\\ Smith thought, dropping Tom onto the floor. There would be no point in locking him up, it was unlikely he would have the strength to do anything other than simply stay on the floor. Smith gave a grim smile as he backed away and locked the door. He walked along the corridor, pausing to look out the window at the sea below. The League were unlikely to find him here - in the far North of Scotland. And even if they did, they would be too late.  
  
~~~   
  
At the top floor of the building, was Mr. Big's room. Inside the room, sat Mr. Big, his gold mask firmly in place. He was waiting - waiting for Smith to come to him and tell him that the American Agent was ready.  
  
Because this time it was different. This time it was a lot more personal and Mr. Big had sworn to have revenge on Agent Sawyer.  
  
One way or another.  
  
TBC...   
  
There you have it, please leave a review! Hope you liked it.  
  
~Sethoz 


	9. Seven Days

Disclaimer: I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. Hope you are all enjoying this so far, just a short part this time to set up for the next few chapters. Bit of a struggle to write this part as a new idea for a LXG story came to me and it was hard to focus on this one. Plus, had to sit an exam today. *shudders* Anyway, here are the shout outs;  
  
Clez:- *watches you gibber incoherently, then hides from the Mina glare* Boy, if you get all worked up about the last part wait till you read this one... I better start running now, hadn't I?  
  
Angharad:- Bit more about Mr. Big in this part, but nothing positive. Just have to keep reading.  
  
Rayne:- The plot thickens? Good God, it's already so stiff that the spoon can stand up on it's own! ;) Well, I certainly plan to finish this one... plus Clez would brain me with something if I didn't. Possibly a rubber chicken.  
  
Silent Bob 546:- They hit Sawyer lots. Evil buggers, why I oughta- wait, I'm in control of them. *Mr. Burns voice* Excellent...   
  
LotRseer3350:- I'm glad you think it's great... and have you been reading the plot? *suspicious look*  
  
There we have it, enough of me blabbing on, here's the next part. Enjoy!  
  
The Bodyguard.  
  
~~~  
  
Part Nine:- Seven Days  
  
~~~  
  
It had been seven days now since Agent Sawyer had been captured by their new enemy and the League were still no closer to finding him than they had been when they left for Scotland. Mina was quickly becoming frantic, she hated the idea of leaving Tom Sawyer in that man's clutches for as long as they had been forced to. Mina had only seen Smith for a few moments but his scent alone had been enough to convince her he was dangerous. The scent had made her skin crawl and everything she had discovered about his blood only made her more worried. She walked into the bridge where Nemo was talking to Jekyll, the Doctor looking excited.  
  
"Madam Mina. I have some news." Nemo said, seeing the vampire enter the room. Mina gave a low grow and hoped that this would not be yet another wild goose chase.  
  
"What have you found out Captain?" she asked, moving closer to him.  
  
"About 40 miles west of here is a castle. The owner never leaves it but in the past few days there have been reports of a man leaving the castle to buy supplies. The man fits Smith's description. We are about to set off to Castle Linbay." Nemo told her. Mina gave a little smile and nodded. She turned an went up to the promenade where she could watch the sun slowly track across the sky as they headed towards the Castle.   
  
//Agent Sawyer will not spend another day away from the League. We will return him to where he belongs and that... man, will pay dearly for what he did to us.\\ Mina thought, determined to extract her revenge.   
  
No one messed with the League, no one messed her friends.   
  
~~~   
  
Smith stared down at the still body grimly. He was starting to get tired of this charade. Why was the boy taking so long to bend? The others... the other's had snapped so much sooner and while Smith enjoyed the challenge he was rapidly ruining out of patience. The Egyptian bent down and grabbed Tom Sawyer by his blond hair, pulling his up.  
  
Tom gave a yelp of pain as he was rudely returned to the land of the living. Tears stung at his eyes as he realized he was still at the mercy of Smith. Every time he woke up he hoped for a brief second that his imprisonment had all been a dream or at the very least the League had shown up to save him.  
  
Sometimes Tom even had trouble remembering his name. He rubbed at the dirt on his face as Smith glared at him.  
  
The Egyptian was not in the least bit happy. Tom stood less defiantly now, his shoulder's hunched, his gaze lowered to the floor. Still, there was rebellion in the way he stood, a hidden glow that told Smith the boy was far from under his control. It was time to take drastic measures. Smith reached inside his large brown overcoat and pulled out a little bottle with a white liquid in it.  
  
He waved the bottle under Tom's nose, attracting the boy's attention. Tom looked up, the anger and rage visible in his eyes. Smith nearly took a step back at the pure emotion that were shining in the clear eyes, it was even more clear that the American was far from submitting.   
  
"This, boy, is something I think you will find interesting." Smith said, a gloating smile on his face. He made a clicking sound with his left hand and four of his men filed in. They grabbed both arms and both legs, holding Tom firmly on the ground. Tom began to kick and struggle, knowing instinctively that something bad was about to happen.   
  
Smith bent down and forced Tom's mouth open, tipping the whole bottle into Tom's mouth. He held the mouth tightly shut until Tom was forced to swallow the liquid. It was cold, so very cold, moving down his throat and entering his stomach. Almost straight away he could feel his stomach freeze and his senses cloud over. The last thing he was aware of was Smith's smiling face before the darkness took him.  
  
~~~   
  
"This is it?" Skinner asked, disbelief in his voice. The Castle stood high on a rock formation, untended lands on the slopes. At the bottom was a tiny village, consisting of a pub, a small shop and a few buildings. In the distance, the odd farm house could be seen.   
  
"What sort of evil mastermind would choose this place?" He asked. Dr. Jekyll shrugged and walked past Skinner, Mina and Nemo a few feet behind him.  
  
"Let's ask around." Mina said. "Try and find out as much as you can about the people who live in the Castle. We will met at the pub in an hour."  
  
"What's the pub called?" Skinner asked.  
  
"Umm... The Slaughtered Lamb." Dr. Jekyll answered, squinting a little to see the wooden sign.  
  
"Very well." Mina said. "The Slaughtered Lamb in one hour gentlemen. Hopefully we should have some news." With that, the group split up.  
  
~~~  
  
The cell that had held Tom Sawyer was empty. The door was open, the man standing guard on the floor. Smith stood in the middle of the empty room, his hands on his hips, his expression shrouded in the shadow of the door.  
  
~~~  
  
Dr. Jekyll wished he could have been surprised an hour later. He had questioned as many people as he could find with no result. Upon entering the pub, he had found Skinner already there and by the looks of the bar, the amount of empty glasses and the way Skinner called him; his bested best chum, it was unlikely that he had gone anywhere in the last hour.   
  
When Mina arrived and saw the state Skinner was in, she was not amused. The glare she sent the drunk would have been enough to send anyone running to the hills screaming for their mummy and Skinner seemed to notice this. He sorbed up slightly.  
  
"Before you say anything and moan at me, I have been busy." Skinner said.  
  
"Busy being drunk?" Mina said frostily. Skinner shook his head, his hat falling off as he did so.  
  
"See, that's where you're wrong. Okay, I was asking around, seeing if anyone knew anything." Skinner said, his breath stinking of alcohol as always.  
  
"Anyway, about fifteen years ago, someone bought the castle and all the surrounding lands. Didn't live in it for years, then out of the blue, about three months ago, this man moves in but doesn't come out in the day." The thief said. There was a pensive look on his white face that told Mina there was still something he had to share with them.  
  
"Did you get the name of the person who bought it?" She asked. Skinner nodded and swallowed, all traces of the drunk gone.  
  
"The person who bought it... called himself James Moritay..." Skinner whispered, as if saying the name any louder would bring the man back to life. There was a stunned silence as the League tried to digest what they had just been told. It was impossible, James Moritay was dead... wasn't he?  
  
"D-did anyone check Moritaty's body?" Jekyll asked, looking from face to face. Numbly they all shook there heads.  
  
"We were all so taken up by Skinner's injuries and the death of Allan..." Mina said softly. In the distance a figure approached them, shoulders hunched, a hat over his head. The only part of the person's face that were visible, were two green eyes.  
  
The man with the green eyes watched the League from a distance before coming closer. There was something funny about the way he walked as if he was trying to disguise himself. Behind him he could hear shouts and the man picked up his pace, now desperate to reach the League before his chasers could spot him. For a second he considered shouting but changed his mind. The last thing the man wanted to do was bring attention to himself.   
  
The green eyed man had almost reached the group by now. Mina turned her head to look as the stranger came closer and closer. She recognized the eyes instantly. Suddenly there was a shape sound, rather like a whip as a gun went off. The man twisted his body, trying to dough the bullet. The unexpected movement sent the man to his knees as Mina ran over to him, catching him as he slipped closer to the ground. Tom looked up at her and smiled weakly.  
  
"What took you so long?" He asked.  
  
TBC...  
  
That's it for part nine, I'm afraid. Part ten will be written as soon as I write it. ;) Please leave a review.  
  
~Sethoz 


	10. The Adventures of Agent Tom Sawyer

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own LXG, Tom Sawyer etc. Glad everyone who left a review has been enjoying this so far. *sniff* No one noticed my ' An American Werewolf In Paris' reference... Hopefully everyone will understand where the title of this part comes from.

  


Here are the shout outs as always;

  


**Clez:- **I can't run! I can't! *points to leg* You wouldn't attack a injured person... would you?

  


**Graymoon74:- **Woah, that has to be one of the longest reviews I ever got! Thank you so much. Trick... or treat? Well, you have to read this part. If I told you what Tom drank that would spoil the surprise. Did you see pink elephants? Hope you enjoy this part as well. 

  


**Angharad:- **Is he back? Or isn't he...

  


**Capt.Cow:- **Demand and thy shall get!

  


**Silent Bob 546:- **Enjoy torturing him? Why would you think that? ;) You can't tell Mr. Burns what to do!

  


**LotRseer3350:- **I'm just trying to be confusing. *evil laugh* Glad your intrigued, and rubber chickens??? NO! Please no!

  


**Sugaricing:- **This is taking forever isn't it... and it's not even half way though yet! Sure you can hug Tom! Just be careful not to jar him... he is still a little tender. :P

  


The Bodyguard.

  


~~~

  


Part Ten:- The Adventures of Agent Tom Sawyer

  


~~~

  


Mina and Dr. Jekyll stood at the foot of the bed that contained Agent Sawyer. Mina tapped a gentle rhythm on the wooden posts. The Vampire looked impatient.

  


"Well?" she asked. 

  


"Multiple bruising all over his body but not on his hands or face. Couple of his ribs look bruised as well. Physically he is a mess but it looks as though he hasn't been attacked for the past few days... 'physically'." Dr. Jekyll told her. The stress he placed on the word physically was not lost on Mina.

  


"And mentally?" She asked.

  


"I don't know... anything could have happened to him, we just have to wait until he wakes up." The Doctor said.

  


"It would also give us a possible explanation for his escape. If he had not been abused recently he might have been able to surprise his guards." Jekyll said. Mina nodded absently, her blue irises fixed on Tom chest, just watching his breath enter and leave.

  


Jekyll coughed softly. "I... I've been thinking about the news Skinner brought us. About Moritaty." He added. Mina's eyes flashed at the mention of the League's first real enemy and the killer of Allan Quartermain. If Jekyll noticed the flash he made no mention to it.

  


"It is possible that while Moritaty did buy the castle fifteen years ago, someone else took it over after his death."

  


"You mean... one of Moritaty's men, that somehow escaped our detection took over the running of the castle and captured Agent Sawyer for revenge?" Mina asked, her anger, barely controlled, lurking just under her voice. The thought that anyone would want to hurt Agent Sawyer because of revenge made the blood boil - even if it had been stone cold for years.

  


"We need more information." Mina said. "Dr. Jekyll, did you find out anything?" She asked. Jekyll numbly shook his head.

  


_//Tell her worm... tell her what happened... about how you looked a fool...\\ _Mocked Hyde.

  


~Flashback...~

  


_Outside of the single shop in the little village stood a young woman, the only person Henry Jekyll could see._

  


_Dr. Jekyll walked up to the young woman, trying to ignore Edward's suggestions of what he would like to do to her._

  


_"Excuse me." Dr. Jekyll said, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. He was not used to talking to woman besides Mrs. Harker or the women Edward then killed. As a result he was almost painfully shy. The young woman looked up at Dr. Jekyll and smiled, her red hair covering her eyes._

  


_"Hello." She said, her voice soft. "You're not local, are you?" She asked. Dr. Jekyll shook his head, not knowing what to say. _

  


_"I didn't think so... you don't look local." The woman said. _

  


_"I was wondering if you knew anything about the castle up there." Henry said shyly, pointing at the looming castle, the silent stones looking dark and foreboding. The woman titled her head and stared at the castle._

  


_"I'm sorry." She said, shaking her head in a negative monition. Dr. Jekyll was puzzled._

  


_"B-but you most know something about it." He said. The woman laughed._

  


_"Why?" She asked. "It's not as if I'm local or anything." she added. She walked off and Jekyll was left standing there, his mouth hanging open as Edward Hyde laughed from inside..._

  


~End Flashback...~

  


"No." Said Dr. Jekyll. "I found out nothing about the people in the castle." Any more discussion was interrupted by a moan from Tom Sawyer. The young American tossed and turned, his eyes half open. They found Mina and lit up. 

  


"M..." Tom rasped, trying to force himself to talk. He had to tell them, now, before it was too late.

  


"Agent Sawyer?" Mina said, moving over to the bed. Tom caught her arm and pulled at her, his throat suddenly dry.

  


"Mustn't trust... masks... not real, make you see..." he said, his eyes wide as he looked at the bemused Vampire. He wanted nothing more than for her to understand what he was trying to say but his mouth didn't seem to work. 

  


"It's okay." Mina said, trying to soothe Tom down. Jekyll moved up to him as well and injected a small dose of a sleeping drug into his blood, seeing the pain in Agent Sawyer's eyes. The drug began to take effect almost at once. Tom stared at Mina and knew he had failed.

  


His eyes slowly closed.

  


_He was standing in the wooden glade again, birds singing, though there is no sign of any feathered creatures anywhere. The dream girl was standing, waiting for him._

  


_"I have to wake up." Tom said, looking for a way out of the wood. The dream girl smiled and walked over to him, her hips swaying as they did so._

  


_"You can't." She said. "All you can do is let your mind rest." She had reached him by now and cupped his face in her hands. Almost against his will Tom felt his eyes close as him mind slowed down._

  


_The dream became a haze of color and sound, with the scent of lavender though out and the clear sound of running water._

  


Mina and Dr. Jekyll exchanged glances over the sleeping Agent.

  


"What do you think he was trying to say?" Jekyll asked. Mina shrugged.

  


"Let's us hope that when he is more lucid he will be able to tell us." she said.

  


~~~

  


Mina was sitting alone with Agent Sawyer, reading a book when the American woke up. He groaned slightly, biting back the cruses that rose from his voice box and bubbled up is throat as he moved, jarring his injuries.

  


"Agent Sawyer? Tom? Can you hear me?" Mina said, lying the book down. Tom groaned again and turned his head to look at the female Vampire.

  


"Hey..." He croaked. "What happened?" He asked. The faint smile that had been on Mina's face vanished as she took in a deep breath.

  


"What do you remember?" Mina asked, not wanting to alarm him. Tom frowned, letting a breath of air escape as he screwed up his eyes, trying to think back.

  


"Umm... we were in London, you were off to attack Smith." Tom told her. Mina's face froze but she struggled to act normally. She needed to talk to Dr. Jekyll. Unfortunately for Mina, Tom seemed to pick up on her act.

  


"What's wrong?" Tom asked. Mina didn't answer. "Mina, what's wrong." He asked again, his voice higher than normal. 

  


"Agent Sawyer... that was over a week ago." Mina said. Tom's mouth opened and closed a few times, his expression stuck somewhere between disbelief and pure, undiluted fear.

  


"What... how?" He asked. Mina didn't answer him, instead she stood up and moved to the door, to greet Dr. Jekyll. Tom could see the two from his bed, where they stood and quietly talked to each other, Mina occasionally looked over at Tom Sawyer.

  


~~~ 

  


As far as Dr. Jekyll could tell, Agent Tom Sawyer had no memory at all between waiting outside the _Nautilus_ a week ago, to waking up next to Mina. He also had no memory of the message he had been trying so hard to tell them. 

  


"Please Doc." Tom Sawyer said, her gaze locked on Henry Jekyll. "You said it yourself, my legs are useable and I hate lying about here... can't I just go to my cabin?" He begged. Dr. Jekyll sighed.

  


_//He smells wrong Henry...\\ _Hyde suddenly whispered. Dr. Jekyll's hands began to tremor slightly but otherwise he gave no sign that he had heard his monstrous alter ego.

  


"Very well Agent Sawyer. I'll get someone to go with you though." He held up his hand as Tom opened his mouth in protest. "Just until you get to your cabin. You may be able to walk on your legs but they are not perfectly healthily and I would like someone to make sure they don't give up on you."

  


Tom gave in and nodded once, seeming to understand that he was only going to get out of the infirmary if he let one of Nemo's ever helpful men guild him to his cabin. 

  


Once Tom Sawyer's mop of dirty blonde hair had vanished around the corner Dr. Jekyll began to mutter.

  


"What do you mean 'wrong' Edward? Mina didn't smell anything and she was with him for ages." Henry Jekyll said.

  


_//He smells like drugs... like the drugs you sometimes give the humans, you worm.\\ _Hyde sneered. Jekyll sighed.

  


"Of course he smells like drugs Edward. I gave him some." Jekyll said, dismissing the conversation from his mind. Jekyll moved past a lamp, it's glow shinning on him, causing his shadow to be thrown onto the wall behind him.

  


If anyone else had been in the infirmary at the time they would have seen the shadow cast by Jekyll was larger than a normal human's. If they had looked closer they would have seen the shadow had the shape of a monster.

  


But there was no-one in the infirmary, so no-one saw the fact the Jekyll had the shadow of Hyde.

  


~~~ 

  


"Mr. Sawyer is gone Sir!" First Mate Patel shouted, running onto the bridge where Captain Nemo, Mrs. Mina and Skinner were standing, all discussing what they should do next. Mina looked at the gasping Indian but didn't say anything.

  


"Gone?" Nemo said, his voice calm as always. "What do you mean gone?"

  


"Dr. Jekyll let him go to his cabin about an hour ago. A few minutes ago he asked me to take something to Mr. Sawyer. When I reached his cabin he was gone, as was his Winchester rifle." Patel said. There was a short stunned silence while the three League members considered his words.

  


"Where could he have gone with his rifle?" Skinner asked. "If he doesn't remember anything that happened to him, why would he leave?"

  


"He will have seen the injuries on his body." Mina said. "He knows something terrible happened to him... he is rash. He always has been."

  


"So... what are you saying?" Skinner almost shouted. "You think he went back to that castle to try and get revenge?"

  


"It would fit in with his character." Nemo agreed. Skinner looked horrified, an expression that was visible even with the little grease paint he had one.

  


"Does Sawyer know Smith can't die?" He blurted out. 

  


"We will go after him of course." Mina stated. Skinner rushed off at once, intent on getting Dr. Jekyll. Captain Nemo walked off as well, barking orders to his crew. Mina slowly walked her own cabin, her feet seeming more heavy than normal. 

  


Agent Tom Sawyer was brash and reckless. And without any memory of Smith he had no idea of the danger he had placed himself in.

  


TBC...

  


Hope everyone liked that part, and then leaves a review. Please? Pretty please with Tom Sawyer on the top?

  


~Sethoz


	11. Gilded Mask

**Disclaimer:- **Part Eleven folks! I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. Glad everyone's enjoying it and I promise that next chapter the identity of Mr. Big will finally be reveled! Now, the shout outs;

  


**Clez:- ***hobbles away as fast as she can* ... I'm going take that to mean you like it. *had started to sleep with her eyes open after your threat*

  


**Angharad:- **Promise, next chapter...

  


**Capt.Cow:- **Hopefully you'll know what's going on with dear old Tommy after the next part... well, kinda.

  


**LotRseer3350:- **ha! You have to do chemistry! *shudders at the memory* Don't worry... all we become clear... very soon. 

  


**Graymoon74:- **You're getting the chills? That's a good thing right? You think Tom's in for more abuse? Wow, how do you do that? Gonna have to start calling you psychic. ;)

  


**Freeformchick:- ***Blushes* aww... thanks.

  


**Silent Bob 546:- **Trust me, you will be saying poor everyone after this part. And sadly no, you can't control Mr. Burns... *grins*

  


**Rayne:- **The plot just keeps getting thicker and thicker! You'll just have to wait and see what happens to Tommy! ;) Hope you like this part.

  


And now... on with this chapter!

  


The Bodyguard.

  


~~~ 

  


Part Eleven:- Gilded Mask

  


~~~

  


The men who worked for Mr. Big were silent, each working on the job that had been allotted to him. They were putting up a raised stage in the main hall, a gold throne facing the main double doors. The stage had been placed so it was near two side doors - handy for entrances and exits. It had also been placed in such a way that light from the high windows behind it would stream down onto the floor, blinding anyone looking at the stage. Throughout this operation Smith was standing on the stage, barking orders at the men and yelling at any that paused in their jobs. In the background stood a shadowy figure, clocked in black, his hood up to prevent anyone seeing his face. It wouldn't have mattered if the hood had been down - a gold mask had been placed on top of the skin of the face.

  


Smith had also ordered the number of guards outside to be doubled. The best of Smith's lackeys had all vanished, after being called to see Smith late last night. It was as if Mr. Big was planning something - in keeping with his name - big. The men knew better than to question their orders or to even think at all. As they put the finishing touches to the stage they were preparing the braver of the men sent each other sideways looks. The shadowy figure had stepped forward and was talking quietly in Smith's ear. Smith was nodding and pointing at various points in the room and answering the shadow quietly. His answers seemed to please the clocked figure and he stepped back, allowing Smith to continued to shout orders to the men, who all went back to their work, making themselves forget what had just happened. They were not told about what Mr. Big was planning - they never were. But one thing was clear.

  


Mr. Big was expecting guests.

  


~~~ 

  


The League were all silently getting ready, each checking there own brand of weapon. 

  


Skinner was the only exception. Besides his invisibility he was taking no weapon to defend himself with. The reason for this was simple - just like the last time, Skinner's mission was to scout out the castle, and try and find out everything he could about Smith, his boss Mr. Big and why he had taken such care to kidnap Agent Sawyer. Skinner was taking his long black jacket but he planed to take it off as soon as they neared the Castle.

  


Mina was standing in her cabin, dressed in her fighting outfit, having abandoned her shirts for leather and trousers to give her more movement. Her auburn hair curled about her head as it seemed to do when she let the Vampire in her out. She picked up her twin silver daggers and slipped them into her duster, a flash of demonic red pulsing in her eyes as she thought about what she was going to do to Mr. Big - get rid of Mr. Big and you get rid of this new threat.

  


Captain Nemo was going over the list of his crew. He ran his finger down the paper, stopping every now and then and writing the name he had stopped at on another bit of paper. When he had chosen enough names he stepped over to the door of his Captain's cabin and passed the paper to his first mate, Patel. The first mate nodded and ran off to Colette everyone on the list. They had been chosen to help in the mission. Nemo calmly picked up his sword and placed it in it's sheath. His hand hovered over his gun, then with a slight shrug he picked it up and put it in his belt as well. There was no need to be foolhardily.

  


Dr. Jekyll was also in his cabin - trying to work out how many bottles of the elixir to take. He picked up two of the tiny bottles and shoved them inside his jacket, planning to give Nemo one to look after in case he ran out before the mission was completed. Inside his skull he could hear Mr. Hyde yelling to be let out and to give him a chance to take his revenge on Smith. The twisted monster had not forgotten his first meeting with Smith and the injuries that had been inflicted on his own body. 

  


_//This time, you pathetic little worm, I will not stand between Smith and the brat, nothing is going to stop me getting to the Egyptian. I am going to pull that man's still beating heart from his chest and watch him die. I promise you, the last image he will ever see, will be his own bloody heart.\\ _Mr. Hyde said. Jekyll shuddered at the imagery Hyde had conjured up. Sometimes his alter ego had such a way with words.

  


~~~ 

  


Mina was the first member of the League to be ready and waiting at the ramp of the _Nautilus_. She tapped her foot, the only outward sign of what she was feeling. After a few moments a floating coat descended the ramp to stand next to the battle ready Vampire. 

  


"Ready for the off dear?" Skinner asked. Mina raised an eyebrow, the displeasure written on her face.

  


"If you call me dear one more time Mr. Skinner, you will not live to see the sun rise." she answered calmly, brushing a stand of her hair away from her unblemished face.

  


"No need to get your knickers in a twist." Skinner muttered as another figure moved down the ramp towards the waiting two. It was Dr. Jekyll, his fingers twisting a bottle of his potion as he reached them. With a slight nod he hunched over and waited. They did not have to wait for long. A minute had passed, two at the most before Nemo joined them, a small group of his sailors behind him.

  


"Are we all ready?" The Captain asked. "I am afraid we will have to walk to the castle, to avoid being spotted before we are ready." Mina nodded at the wisdom in that though Skinner sighed. 

  


"Dr. Jekyll, it might be best to let Mr. Hyde out now." Captain Nemo added. The good Doctor nodded and pulled the top off the little glass bottle, tossing the potion down his throat. He began to pant rapidly as the potion did it's work. A tiny scream of pain escaped Jekyll's throat. No matter how many times he did this, the sheer amount of pain was always a surprise. There was a loud 'crack' as bone and cartilage snapped, to form the body of Mr. Hyde. After a few more painful sounds, Dr. Jekyll had vanished and Mr. Hyde was standing in his place. Now ready to face Smith, the League set off, the Castle in the distance.

  


"What is the point of having an automobile, if you don't even use it?" The invisible man asked the air, trailing after the group, who disliked long walks.

  


Skinner cast a longing look at _'The Slaughtered Lamb' _as they passed the pub. Without looking behind her, Mina seemed to know what he was thinking.

  


"Later Mr. Skinner." She said sharply. Skinner nodded, knowing the life of Agent Sawyer was more important than getting drunk - besides he could drown himself in drink any time he wanted after they saved the young American. After all, Skinner was planning a party to celebrate Tom Sawyer's rescue. One that involved drink. Lots of drink.

  


~~~ 

  


By the time they reached the Castle the sun was shining fiercely down on them. Close up the castle looked even more dark and foreboding. The empty looking windows seemed to glare down at the League, looking like eye sockets with the eyes removed. Mina shuddered slightly, the skin on the back of her neck tingling as if someone was watching them. The sheer amount of windows meant that there was no hope of knowing for sure.

  


Yet Mina was sure that any hope of surprise was now lost. She made eye contact with Nemo and nodded slightly, giving the signal to attack. Nemo nodded back to show that he understood. He raised his arm, the sword he was holding glinting in the sun. He lowed the sword, the blade cutting threw the air. The League and Nemo's sailors charged threw the open gates into a deserted courtyard. They slowed to a walk, glancing about wearily. They all now believed that they were indeed expected. Which could a few things - the most likely being Agent Sawyer had been re-captured and Smith was waiting for some kind of rescue attempt. 

  


The only way forward was a set of large doors, slightly ajar. Skinner slipped off his jacket and passed it to one of Nemo's sailors.

  


"I'm going to have a look around, see if there is another way in." Skinner whispered. Nemo nodded and the rest of the League moved slowly towards the open door, as if it was a bomb or dangerous animal. Skinner walked over to one of the other doors in the courtyard. Finding it locked he bent down and picked up a loose twig, using it as a lock pick. The door swung open and he slipped inside.

  


Meanwhile the rest of the League had reached the open doors. Mr. Hyde lumbered in first, Mina and Captain Nemo a few steps behind him and Nemo's sailors a few steps behind them. The sunlight pored though the open windows, hitting the League and blinding them for a few seconds. 

  


When they could see, the sigh chilled them to the bones. Rank after rank of men stood between the League and a raised platform. Standing on the platform was Smith and a cloaked figure. Smith smiled.

  


"You have witnessed your last sunrise." He said. Hyde growled, eager to attack him. Smith half turned to the figure in black. The other man gave a nod and Smith turned back to face the League, a smirk on his face. 

  


"Attack!" Smith yelled and the men sprang, attacking the League with the strength of men driven forward for fear of what was behind them.

  


Skinner in the meantime had not come across any of Smith's men. He wandered through the empty corridors, sticking his head into empty rooms. He was stating to despair of ever finding anything when he entered the room with a desk and chair in it. Skinner tiptoed over to the desk and pulled open one of the drawers. The first two were empty but in the last one Skinner struck gold. There was a stack of papers, the first half covered in some kinds of pictures, the second half in some foreign language. Skinner didn't understand what he said but he took the papers anyway. Skinner turned and went back the way he had come, entering the courtyard and hurrying across the paving stones, his bare feet slapping against them as he went. 

  


As Skinner entered the room where the League were, he was faced with utter confusion. The battle was in full swing, each member of the League giving as good as they got. In the background, Skinner could just see a hooded figure who seemed to be getting frustrated at the lack of progress the Smith's men were doing. Smith looked furious.

  


"You outnumber them four to one!" he yelled at his men. Skinner moved quickly over to the sailor he had give his coat to, aware that floating papers were an easy target. He tapped the sailor on his shoulder and stuffed the papers into a spare pocket of his long jacket. 

  


~~~

  


As the fighting continued Mina kept her eyes on the clocked figure in the background. Even when she was fighting one of the men she watched the figure. The resistance to the League was starting to fade away, the number of enemies rapidly demising. The clocked figure seemed to notice this as it turned and fled through a side door, leaving his men to their fate. Mina let out a feral growl and ran after the figure, determined that he should not escape. She pushed the men who moved in front of her aside as if they were made of air. She passed through the side door and chased after the retreating man.

  


The rest of the League carried on fighting Smith's men, though the Egyptian had long since vanished - he had fled before the cloaked figure had and in the other direction. Captain Nemo was not thinking about Smith at the moment though. He was a fury of fists and legs, kicking out at everyone who came close to him. The men fell like trees in a gale. Skinner had joined the battle by now, using a discarded dagger to attack the men. The sailor, who he had given the papers he had found was fighting as well, taking out man after man. 

  


Mr. Hyde was enjoying himself enormously. He roared, using his large bulky arms as bats, swatting the men away from him. He only stopped when he found out he had run out of men. The League all looked at each other then at the room - empty of any standing enemies. 

  


"Where is our female bloodsucker, the wonderful Mina?" Skinner asked, taking his jacket, with the papers he had stolen in his pocket, off the sailor and putting his jacket on. "Has anyone seen her?" Mr. Hyde gave a roar of pain that sounded like a wounded animal before starting his painful transformation back into the shy Dr. Jekyll. 

  


Above them - where the walls met the ceiling - five little slots opened and the barrel of five guns slid out, making no noise what so ever. Captain Nemo tensed, sensing something, though he was unable to locate where. Soundlessly the guns aimed, three pointing at the main League members, the other two aimed at the first two sailors they could fix on. As one the guns fired, sending there deadly little missiles down to the helpless League. The gunmen's aim was true, each of the five hitting there intended target. Quickly they all re-loaded and began to shoot the other sailors in the room. Each fell to the ground, each hit. 

  


Out of the shadows Smith, stepped forward and bent down by Dr. Jekyll, pulling out the dart he had been struck with. The Egyptian rolled the dart between his figures, admiring how potent the drug was.

  


"Hurry up." He barked. "We must be ready before they wake."

  


~~~ 

  


Mina was oblivious to the fate that had befallen the rest of the League as she ran after the clocked figure. The stone passage she had found herself in was only lit by the odd flaming torch. The figure in front of her seemed to be able to find his way forward even in the dark patches. He waved through the labyrinth of passages, trying to loose the Vampire on his trail. 

  


Mina however, was slowly gaining on him. The shadowy figure seemed to know this and sped up, taking turn after turn in his vain attempt to get her off his scent. The figure darted into a open doorway and closed the wooden door behind him. The room he was now in was empty save for a few torches on the wall to give light. The rays lit up the stone room as the figure spun to face the door, his arm reaching inside his cloak.

  


The door was thrown off it's hinges, the splinted wood flying into the room. Instinctively the figure threw his arm up to shield his face. At the same time Mina erupted into the room, her fangs at the ready. In two steps she had crossed the distance between herself and the figure, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the wall.

  


"Now." She growled. "Let us see who you really are." As her hand reached up to pull the hood away, the figure pulled out an open bottle, containing some kind of white liquid. Faster than Mina thought it was possible for a human to move he had poured into her open mouth, her fangs still glinting in the light. Mina swallowed without thinking about it. 

  


The liquid ran down her throat, entering her insides. They began to get cold and she let go of the clocked figure, using her hand to hit away the bottle. It flew through the air and smashed against the wall. However the damage had already been done as Mina staggered backwards, doubled over, clutching at her stomach. Mina regained her balance and straightened back up, her senses becoming cloudy. She took a step towards the figure, moving like someone drunk. The shadowy figure took a few steps backwards, not wanting to be in her way. 

  


Mina reached out towards the man, her limbs suddenly heavy and useless. Her fingers began to lock together and it became darker, her mind becoming sluggish. She took a few steps towards the shadow, her stiff fingers locking on the gold mask under the hood. Using the last of her strength she pulled the mask away and stared at the face under it. Her eyes registered the surprise and shock she felt as she looked at the face that was cooly staring back her, no remorse on the face. She gasped in horror as she tried to say something.

  


"You..." Was all that Mina was able to force out between her frozen lips, before the awaiting darkness claimed her mind as its own. Her body sank to the floor, taking the man's gilded mask with it and the hooded figure watched it for a few moments before bending down and prizing his gold mask from her tightly clenched hand. He lifted the mask, the light of the torches on the wall bouncing off it and carefully placed it back on his face.

  


"Yes 'darling' Mina." He said coldly, looking down at the crumpled form of the female Vampire, carefully brushing the broken glass and splintered wood away with his foot. 

  


"Me."

  


TBC...

  


Now that you have all read, please, please leave a review. *puppy dog eyes* Pleaseeeeeeeee.

  


~Sethoz


	12. This Heart is Cold

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. And, in this part, we will finally find out just who Mr. Big is. So please, read it then leave a review.

  


**Roz:- **Woah, having an Agent Smith moment there... glad to see your reviews again, you vanished a while ago...

  


**LotRseer3350:- **You're... lukewarm with a fever... and you will find out right now, so yay! Hope your Mr. Hyde doesn't show up now.

  


**Rayne:- **ahhh!!! Not again! Hopefully this part will dilute the plot. ;) Glad you're enjoying it.

  


**Niani:- **Nope.

  


**Silent Bob 546:- **poor everyone indeed. So... let me guess... you're a Jekyll fan? ;)

  


**Clez:- **Do I enjoy seeing you suffer? ... is this some kind of trick question? And yeah, as I told you on-line, you are right.

  


**Melanie:- ***blushes* aww, thanks. Here's the next part.

  


**Anonymous:- **You're right.

  


**ScifiRouge:- **Nooo! Please don't be angry with me!!! Look, new part... you can stop singing :P

  


**Freeformchick:- **No, you are right.

  


**Christine:- **yeah, Tom's my favorite too. Aw, thanks for the nice review. Sure you can have a cookie, you can have a whole pack for writing such a nice review. (And such a nice one for chappy one, you can hug him, but you might not want to at the end of this...)

  


The Bodyguard.

  


~~~

  


Part Twelve:- This Heart is Cold.

  


~~~

  


The world suddenly came back into sharp focus for Dr. Henry Jekyll. He gave a slight groan and tried to move. It was impossible to move very much. Jekyll turned his head slightly, finding himself on his knees, a man's hands pressing down on his shoulders to stop him moving, his hands tied roughly behind his back. To his left was Mina. She too was on her knees, her head thrown back, her eyes looking straight ahead. However, there she had no restraints on her. She was twitching slightly, her pupils diluted. Jekyll turned his head to the right. There was Captain Nemo, still unconsciousness, his hands bound behind his back, a man holding him upright. Past Nemo, Jekyll could just see a floating coat, floating ropes and a man pressing down on something invisible that had to be Skinner. 

  


"Mina?" Dr. Jekyll asked, turning back to the female. His answer was to be hit in the back of his head by the man behind him. Jekyll groaned slightly and dipped his head.

  


_//Okay... they clearly don't want us to talk. Or move. So why are we still alive?\\ _Henry Jekyll thought. Deep in his mind Hyde stirred but didn't answer, leaving the Doctor alone with his thoughts. Jekyll had often wished for Hyde to go and leave him alone but now he found the quiet of his mind worrying and not the norm. Jekyll searched in his mind, trying to locate Edward. Hyde growled, but seemed groggy and unable to form sentences. 

  


_//What ever they drugged us with... it must have affected both Edward and myself. That's why I'm awake before any of the others. I was only half affected.\\ _As Jekyll was thinking this there was a little groan from Skinner and his coat shifted slightly.

  


"Oww..." Skinner's voice said, floating softly towards Jekyll. "What the hel-" His voice was cut off as the man behind him rammed a gun barrel into the back of his neck. Jekyll gulped as one of the men moved around to face Nemo.

  


"You. Turban." He snapped. Nemo's head remained bowed, his eyes closed. "I know you are awake and thinking of attacking. Just to warn you. You move and two of your friends will get their heads blown off. No way to save them both... unless you behave." The man said. The click of a gun behind Jekyll's ear told him that he was one of the two and the gun currently pointing at Skinner told him Skinner was the second. Nemo raised his head and stared at the man, his dark eyes boring into the other. He seemed to be committing the man's face to memory, as if to promise that they would meet again. The man looked slightly uncomfortable.

  


"So... you are awake." A voice said. The man who had been threatening Nemo snapped to attention and moved back to stand behind the captives. The League watched as three men filed in through one of the side doors. The first one was Smith. He stood to the left of the golden throne. The second man who entered was the one who had spoken. He was dressed in a black cloak and sat in the gold chair. The third person was dressed in the same manner as the second, his hood covering his face. As he walked to the right of the throne, Dr. Jekyll's eyes caught the glint of Agent Sawyer's Winchester rifle in the man's hands. 

  


Mr. Big settled himself more comfortably in his throne. 

  


"I see you noticed my little trophy." Mr. Big said, waving his hand in the vague direction of the rifle.

  


"Where is Agent Sawyer." Skinner snapped, sounding more brave than he felt. A low chuckle came from under Mr. Big's hood. 

  


"What, little sneak thief, no introductions? How... rude. And clearly, you have no wish in finding out what has happened to your Vampire friend." Mr. Big said, his voice sounding lazy. As if puppets on a string the three men of the League turned their heads to look at Mina. She was swaying slightly now, her eyes wide and unseeing. 

  


"What did you do?" Dr. Jekyll asked in horror. Mr. Big snapped his fingers and Smith pulled out a little bottle of white liquid and passed it to his boss.

  


"A drug." Mr. Big said in a bored tone, idly tossing the bottle from one hand to the other. "It makes the user highly... suggestible." He placed the bottle on the floor as Captain Nemo narrowed his eyes.

  


"Who are you and what do you want with us?" The Indian asked. Another chuckle answered him as the man pulled off his hood to revel his gold mask and jet black hair. Intelligent blue eyes stared out of the eye holes.

  


"My name is Mr. Big." He said.

  


"Hiding behind masks and false names?" Skinner slurred, sounding drunk. A quick glance told Jekyll however that blood was trickling down from the back of his head. Mr. Big nodded.

  


"It does seem to run in the family..." He said. Dr. Jekyll stared at Mr. Big in puzzlement. "Very well..." Mr. Big said to himself. He slowly reached up and removed the mask from his face. It was a young man who looked back at the League, ice blue eyes, thin lips and a small nose. His black hair hung almost to his eyes. There was something about the shape of the face, however, that reminded Captain Nemo of someone...

  


"My name is Colonel James Moritay."

  


"What??" Dr. Jekyll gasped, blood draining from his face. Mr. Big turned his cold eyes on the Doctor.

  


"I said, my name is Colonel James Moritay. My father... had a deep love of the name James and so named all three of his sons by the same name. My older brother was called Professor James Moritay." Mr. Big leaned back in his throne. 

  


"So... this is all revenge?" Skinner said, focusing on Mr. Big. A snarl came to the Colonel's thin lips.

  


"You still don't know what any of this is, do you, you fools." Hissed Mr. Big. "This is bigger than simple revenge. This is more important..." He trailed off, lowering his gaze as if in pain. The third man took a step towards Mr. Big as if worried. Then the Colonel lifted his head back up and waved the man away.

  


"I think I need to teach you all a lesson." He said, nodding at Smith. The Egyptian smiled and ran his tongue over his crooked teeth.

  


"Now... which of you should die?" Smith said, giving Mr. Big a quick glance. "We can't have you following us around like this, now can we?" 

  


"The Indian maybe?" Mr. Big said in an amused tone. At this threat to his Captain, one of the sailors broke free of his captors and charged blindly at Mr. Big, blind with rage.

  


"Stop him!" Smith yelled, gesturing at his men with weapons. The man still cloaked was faster though. In one fluid motion he bent down on one knee, bringing the rifle up to eye level. There was a split second pause before the rifle went off, the explosion sounding deafeningly loud in the room. The sailors eyes widened in surprise as he moved his hand to the hole that had suddenly appeared in the middle of his chest. As he stared down at the hole in supreme confusion, thick red blood began to pour from the tiny hole, fighting with itself in its eager to leave though the wound. The sailor half turned towards Nemo then crashed to the floor, dead before he hit the ground. Nemo's eyes burned a dark black and he started to move. Instantly all the guns in the room cocked, all aimed at the League. There was a tense silence, the only sound a fly buzzing.

  


Sweat rolled down Dr. Jekyll's face as he felt the cool metal of the gun barrel on the back of his neck, the little buzzing sound right in his ear. Then the moment of tension passed as Nemo relaxed slightly. Mr. Big gave a slight nod and the other men lowered their guns. 

  


"I must apologize for my bodyguard." Mr. Big said. "He is very interested in keeping me safe. Risks everything. It is him you can thank for the condition of the Vampire." he paused and put his fingertips together.

  


"I believe you know him." He added. The Colonel gave a little wave and his bodyguard nodded, first removing the gold mask that obscured his face before slowly pulling his hood back. A tangle of dirty blond locks and two bright green eyes awaited them.

  


"Surprise." Tom Sawyer said. Dr. Jekyll felt his jaw drop open as he stared at his friend and collage. Mr. Big held out his hand and Tom Sawyer turned to take it, dropping to his knees. Mr. Big smiled, his hand resting on Tom's head, the American bowing his head in total submission.

  


"You see, this whole thing was all a ruse. Finding Agent Sawyer, his convenient memory loose, then his vanishing act along with his rifle, the real reason for his return being to get that weapon." Mr. Big said, the smile never leaving his face. The Colonel stood up, Tom Sawyer directly behind him and Smith a little way behind him.

  


"We must be off." Smith told the League. "Sawyer... deal with the Vampire." He added. Skinner tensed as Tom turned back to face the group.

  


"Mina." He commanded. There was something about the way he spoke that chilled Skinner to the bone. It was as if a stranger was talking though his friend, using the tones Skinner knew so well, but without the warmth that went with it. 

  


"Come here." Tom said. Mina stood up and moved towards Tom. She reached his side and stood there quietly as Tom began to whisper in her ear. Then Colonel Moritay, Smith and Tom Sawyer all left the room. The men who were left suddenly let go of the League member and darted though the other side down. 

  


The only thing that stood between the bound League and Tom Sawyer was Mina, her head lowered. There was a low growl in her throat and she looked up - her eyes pulsing a demonic red.

  


TBC...

  


There you have it. Originally I was going to end it later, but leaving it at this point was just too tempting to resist... don't hate me. Please, leave a review.

  


There really was a Colonel James Moritay in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

  


~Sethoz


	13. My Wolf Among You Sheep

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews, they passed the 100 mark with this chapter! *hugs her reviewers* You are all so great! 

  


**Clez:- **Little too good at being evil? Why, I don't know what you mean. *Innocent blink* Glad you liked the last part, hope you enjoy this one! 

  


**Roz:- ***jumps from one foot to another* Come on! Hurry up and finish that SW thing, I really wanna read it!! Glad you are still reading this, enjoy.

  


**LotRseer3350:- **Unexpected is good, that is what I was going for. 

  


**Silent Bob 546:- **Always nice to meet a Jekyll fan. Umm... how could I do that to Tom? It's gonna get worse, trust me.

  


**Leigh S. Durron:- **I'm so glad you're enjoying this so far, hope you like this part as well.

  


**Christine:- ***huggles Tom tight* I dunno why I'm so mean to him... I just am. Glad you think it's awesome. :)

  


**GRAYMOON74:- **I fooled you? You, Graymoon, the psychic?? :) Glad this is still making you chill, hope this part is enjoyed.

  


**Niani:- **It did sound a lot like Dorian didn't it. I swear if I could have found a way to bring Dorian in, I would have but I couldn't.

  


**Rayne:- ***coughs as she reads your review* Uh... I don't _think _that Tom told Mina to do that last thing. 

  


**Capt.Cow:- **Deal. I posted, so you don't hate me.

  


**Slightlyevilgeniusgirl:- **Ahhh!!! *hides* Please don't kill me, otherwise it will be a cliffhanger forever! 

  


**Melanie:- **Don't worry, lots of people thought it was Dorian. Here's part 13.

  


The Bodyguard

  


~~~

  


Part Thirteen:- My Wolf Among You Sheep

  


~~~

  


"Mina." Dr. Jekyll said, trying to calm the Vampire down. She growled at him, as her hair seemed to come alive, her bats moving from her hair to the air around her. Their wings made a rustling sound, rather like dry paper or old leaves. More and more of her pets appeared, until they formed a wall between the League and the door Smith, Colonel Moritay and Tom Sawyer had left by. 

  


"Mina, try and control yourself." Captain Nemo told her, his voice empty of any emotion, his eyes fixed on the shot form of his sailor. In answer Mina growled louder, baring her teeth, her fangs at the ready.

  


"What do we do now?" Dr. Jekyll asked, his gaze darting to the rest. 

  


"Trying not to die sounds like a solid plan." Skinner muttered, taking a little step back.

  


Moritay moved quickly through the corridors and rooms of his castle, heading for Smith's boat. Behind him hurried Smith and Tom. The Colonel suddenly stopped, causing Smith to ram into him. 

  


"Do you have the papers?" He asked Smith. The Egyptian paled and numbly shook his head. He knew how much damage they could do, if they fell into the League's hands and they managed to work out what they meant. A smile crept to his face.

  


"Sawyer. Get the papers, you know where they are. Do not come back this way, meet us as the water exit." Smith said. Tom nodded and ran back the way they had come, his black cloak billowing out behind him. Mr. Big watched him go, a frown on his face.

  


"You still do not have him fully under control if you are still using the drug." Mr. Big said, his voice cold and accusing. Smith cowered at the icy rage he could sense in the words.

  


"It is okay Boss." Smith said. "He only needs about one more dose and of course you will give it to him. Then he will be under your control for good and will only obey you." Smith finished. Mr. Big nodded and the two began to move again, heading for the boat to meet Tom. It always amused and slightly confused Mr. Big, the way Smith was scared of him. Smith could not die or be hurt for any length of time - at least, not even Mr. Big knew of a way. Yet, for some reason Smith was scared of him. Not that Mr. Big was averse to Smith being slightly scared and in awe of him, the best way to control his men was thought fear after all.

  


Meanwhile Tom was nearing the room where they had left the League. His pace sped up and by the time he reached the room he was running at full speed. He ran from the arch and crossed the lifted stage. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a wall of moving bat wings. Though the wall he could just see the fuzzy outline of the League. With a grin he put on a burst of speed and vanished though the other arch.

  


Nemo saw the outline of Tom Sawyer as he ran past and took a step forward. At the same time Mina moved, her arms stretched out, fury on her face. Her palms met Nemo's chest, sending him flying backwards. With a growl she flung herself on the rest of the League, kicking and pushing them. Without using her fangs once the Vampire soon managed to knock away them all.

  


Then, just as suddenly as she started, Mina stopped. The bloodlust faded from her eyes, the demonic red being replaced with the clear blue of her human eyes. Her bats all faded away, as if they had never been more than tricks of the light. Mina looked round then fell to the ground, her eyes closed. 

  


Dr. Jekyll hurried over to her, bending down next to her, to make sure she was OK. Captain Nemo charged off in the direction Tom had taken, Skinner and three of his men following.

  


"Why are we going this way mate?" Skinner asked, puffing slightly. "The baddies went the other way!"

  


"I saw Agent Sawyer come back and leave this way." Nemo said over his shoulder, without slowing down. 

  


"Oh."

  


The group of five men ran along the corridor, searching for any signs that might lead them to Tom Sawyer. Skinner looked around him as they neared an open door. The corridor looked familiar, as if he had been in it before. As he entered the room with the open door after Nemo, Skinner realized that he had been there before - it was the room where he had found the papers now resting in his pocket.

  


Someone had clearly been in the room after Skinner had left it. The table and chair had been over turned, all the drawers pulled completely out of the table and flung around the room.

  


"I found something in here before... that could be what Sawyer was looking for." Skinner said, fingering the heavy bundle of papers in his pocket. Nemo nodded and darted back out of the room, and along the corridor. A few hundred paces away he came across the cloak Tom had been wearing, discarded. Nemo knew they were getting close.

  


He slowed down, hearing noise coming from a room ahead of him. The door was half open, making the light from inside spill onto the corridor. Slowly Nemo pushed the door completely open and peered inside.

  


Tom Sawyer was standing at the far end of the room, looking down a trap door he had just opened. In his right hand he loosely held his Winchester rifle. A low sound could be heard from below the wooden floorboards - that of a powerful engine starting up. Tom smiled coldly as he heard the noise and a few moments later dropped his rifle though the trap door.

  


"Agent Sawyer." Nemo said, striding into the room, his sword in his hands. Behind him came the three sailors and Skinner. Tom whipped his face around at the sound of his name, pulling out his twin Colt pistols and pointing them at the League, his hands shacking slightly. Tom was sweating, a confused and puzzled look in his eyes. His blond hair fell over his green eyes and he shook his head, to try and push the locks of hair away from his vision. Mina and Jekyll entered the room, Mina lightly holding onto Dr. Jekyll for support.

  


"Tom..." Mina said, trying to get his attention. "You don't want to do this, not really. Put them down." She spoke calmly, without raising her voice. It sounded mellow and relaxing, to Skinner at least. Tom's hands were shacking badly now, his eyes wide. His whole body seemed to be vibrating as he stood there. The ticking of Dr. Jekyll's pocket watch seemed to grow louder and louder in the silence of the room, the only other sound, Tom's irregular breathing. Tom lowered his pistols slightly, staring at the League in confusion. 

  


It could have been just a trick of the light, but for a second Skinner could have sworn that the Tom Sawyer he knew was looking out of those green eyes at them instead of the man who had killed one of Nemo's men and drugged Mina Harker into attacking them.

  


"Sawyer! Jump!" Smith's voice said, floating up from the trap door. Instantly the confused and vulnerable look vanished from Tom's eyes to be replaced by the cold and arrogant look that had been in them while the League had been captives. The twin pistol barrels came back up, pointing at the League. Then with a wink, and a mocking smile, Tom took and step forward and jumped though the trap door. 

  


As he fell, Nemo ran forward to try and catch him but Tom's body had already slipped though the wood and landed below. Nemo peered down the hole. Smith's boat - a boat, which Nemo now knew must have been designed from plans of his _Nautilus_ - was waiting below. Tom had landed on open deck and was looking back up at them, the mocking smile still on his face. Smith was also there, as was Mr. Big himself. 

  


Smith's ship moved and shot out of the tunnel of water it had been in, leaving the League behind and entering the Pentland Firth before making the powerful boat head towards open sea. 

  


Back in the castle, the League were still standing around the trap door, listening as the distant hum of the engine faded away. The looked at each other, the glances uncertain as each member tried to come to terms with and understand what had just happened.

  


"We have one thing they need." Skinner said, trying to disrupt the morbid mood that threatened to overcome them all. He reached in his black coat pocket and pulled out the wad of papers.

  


"They wanted this... what ever this is." He said, handing the paper to Mina. She took, scanning the words, a faint frown on her face. She didn't say a word, just stood there, her eyes on the paper as the silence filled the room again. Finally Skinner could stand it no longer.

  


"Why are we still just standing about here? Shouldn't we be off trying to save Sawyer?" He asked. 

  


"Agent Sawyer has alined himself with the enemy Mr. Skinner. I hardly think he is in need of being saved." Captain Nemo said. 

  


"You... you don't honestly think Tom was acting of his own free will do you? That Smith must have done something to him!" Skinner shouted. Nemo looked at the floating hat.

  


"He told Madam Mina to attack us, to try and kill us." Nemo said. Skinner's mouth opened and closed but he could find no words to say.

  


"That is not quite true Captain." Mina's soft voice broke in. "He did indeed tell me to attack you, but he also told me not to use my fangs or to kill any of you." She stopped and looked around at the assembled group, tapping the paper she was holding.

  


"If I was drugged to act against my will, is it not possible that Agent Sawyer was?" She asked. "He did not do anything unless he was told to by Smith. I have a feeling that these papers could hold the key to what is going on. I suggest we should return to the Nautilusand plan our course of action."

  


~~~ 

  


The League had all moved to different rooms upon their return to the Nautilus. Mina had gone to her room, to try and work out what the papers meant. Dr. Jekyll had vanished... somewhere and Skinner had gone to the conference room. After a few minutes Captain Nemo had joined him. The two sat in silence, waiting for some news.

  


"I think I have discovered something we should all know." Dr. Jekyll said, stepping out from the shadows a thin volume held open in his hands. "I was checking your library Captain, to see if there were any records of Colonel James Moritay and I found something... odd."

  


"What is it mate?" Skinner asked, the ever present whisky glass in his hand.

  


"About 12 years ago, Colonel Moritay contracted some kind of disease from India. This record doesn't go into any detail about what he had, but it does say there is no known cure. The Colonel was given roughly three months to live. He left India and was never seen again." Dr. Jekyll said.

  


"Looks pretty alive for someone who should have died over eleven years ago." Skinner muttered. Dr. Jekyll nodded. The look in his eyes made it clear that there was something else he was not telling them.

  


"What else have you find out about him?" Captain Nemo asked. Henry Jekyll cleared his throat.

  


"I'm afraid it gets even more confusing." He stated with a sigh. 

  


"Colonel Moritay was twenty five when he became ill. Which should make him about thirty seven now." Jekyll said. Skinner coughed and nearly chocked on the whiskey he was drinking.

  


"He doesn't look older than twenty five now!" He exclaimed. Jekyll nodded and held out the book he was holding. There was a photo in it, a photo of Colonel Moritay, dated twelve years ago.

  


"He hasn't aged a day!" Nemo said. "How is such a thing possible?"

  


"Because of this." Mina's voice said. She had entered the room un-noticed, a queer, pleased look in her blue eyes, holding the mass of papers. She sat down and spread them out.

  


"The first half of the papers were in Egyptian Hieroglyphs, which few can read. The second half however, is written in Greek, of which I know a little. I think I have worked out what is going on and the motives behind it." Mina said. 

  


"Well?" Skinner asked, drowning his whisky. "What does Mr. Big want and what does it have do with Sawyer?"

  


"The age old motive Mr. Skinner." Mina said, the queer look in her eyes burning even more brightly.

  


"The quest for everlasting life."

  


TBC...

  


There you have it, hope you enjoyed this part. 

  


Just a small note, Egyptian Hieroglyphs were deciphered by Jean-Francois Champollion.

  


Please read and review!

  


~Sethoz


	14. Ritual

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. Thank you all so much, you amazing reviewers, thanks for the reviews. This chapter and the next one should (In theory) explain must of the plot.

  


**Clez:- **Colonel Moran??? NO!!!!!! You... you wouldn't dare! Glad you liked the last part, hope you like this one.

  


**Angharad:- **Oh yeah, I've seen them... and the movies... and read all the stories... Ahem- glad you are enjoying this so far, you're most likely right about where this is going...

  


**freedomfighter82:- **We all love Tom. Wow, you really like this story don't you... *blushes* Hope you like this part as well.

  


**Roz:- **I've up-dated!! Now how's it going? 

  


**Rayne:- **It was a bit longer than normal. Here is the up-date.

  


**Silent Bob 546:- **Of course its confusing. Hopefully this part will help to explain what is going on.

  


**LotRseer3350:- **You're quite close. Are you going to be up-dating your LXG story soon?? Pleaseeeeeeeee *puppy dog eyes*

  


**Niani:- **Couldn't really have Mina do too much damage... other wise she would kill them all and there would be no more story.

  


**Graymoon74:- **Kill Tom? *nervous giggle* I would never do anything like that.

  


**Capt.Cow:- **Might get round to saving him... sometime. Okay, I've up-date, you can't hate me :P

  


Now, that's done, on with the story.

  


The Bodyguard

  


~~~

  


Part Fourteen:- Ritual

  


~~~

  


"Everlasting life?" Skinner said in disbelief, staring at the bits of paper. Mina nodded, the queer look still in her eyes. Dr. Jekyll and Captain Nemo exchanged glances, Jekyll looked nervous as always. 

  


"Yes Mr. Skinner. The quest for the holy grail, the fountain of youth, a Vampire's kiss, Immortality of a painting, the search of the divine and the gift of living forever... or in this case something called the 'Well of Souls'. That is what Mr. Big wants and to a degree, that is what he already has." Mina said, her fingers resting on the papers, as if she enjoyed the feel of the paper under the tips of her fingers. 

  


"So the bloke wants everlasting life, what has this got to do with Sawyer?" Skinner interrupted, loosing interest in the Colonel's motive. Mina raised and eyebrow gave a slight cough.

  


"If you were to let me finish, Mr. Skinner, perhaps we will be able to determine what he wants with Agent Sawyer. Some of the Greek pages are diary entries, made by Mr. Big... or Colonel Moritay, what ever his name is." Mina said, picking up on of the pages. She pressed her palm over it to try and make it less crumpled and began to read out loud.

  


_'This is my last hope._

  


_The old crone I met by the bank of the river told me of a place where I could be cured. A place called the Well of Souls. I have already wasted two of my three months. If this does not work then I have no time to search out anything else. I will not wall myself into my Scottish castle and wait to die. I will not let Death win..._

  


_The city is coming into sight now, the dust blowing over it. It truly is a Necropolis, where nothing living moves. The buildings seem intact, as if any second now people would walk out of them. Of course, if that did happen I would have to kill them, like I killed the crone. I can't leave any witness behind to tell anyone else what they know... plus that old woman smelt bad... _

  


_... It has happened. I cannot truly believe it. I found it. I must write everything down while it is still fresh in my mind._

  


_In the center of the Necropolis was the temple. The place where the 'Well of Souls' is supposed to be. With Cranks - my bodyguard - I entered. Directly inside was a maze. At least, at first it seemed like a maze, but on the way out - no, that is getting ahead of myself. _

  


_Cranks and I wandered though the maze for what seemed like hours. At last though, we found ourselves in the center chamber. It was massive, starching as far as the eye can see. There was a narrow path leading to the very center of the room. All around it was a deep abyss, an inky blackness which seemed to have no end. I walked the narrow path, my eyes fixed on the platform at then end - my prize. _

  


_The platform was much wider than the path. It was square in shape, the only thing on it, some stone steps leading up to a stone well. I turned to Cranks, only to find that he wasn't there. Instead there stood an imposing Egyptian._

  


_"You wish to use the Well?" He asked. I answered that I did._

  


_"I am the guardian of the Well. You understand I cannot just let you use it. You must defeat me in combat first." He said, pulling a large sword from nowhere. _

  


_"Very well." I said cooly, before pulling out my revolver and shooting him. The Egyptian looked confused as he fell to the ground, as if he did not understand what I had done. I turned back to the well, intent on learning its secrets._

  


_"You have defeated me." A voice said. The Egyptian was standing up, his skin unblemished, no mark to show I had shoot him. He smiled at my reaction._

  


_"I can not be killed." He said. "You have defeated me, therefor, the power of the well is yours, as am I."_

  


_"How does it work?" I asked. _

  


_"The Well is given a soul. You then get the life force of that person. However the person must answer the dead and tell them that he or she wishes to give up their life." The Egyptian said. I frowned, this was not to my liking. _

  


_"Cranks!" I yelled. My loyal bodyguard came running up. He had been with me for over fifteen years and I had known him since we were both children. _

  


_"Cranks... would you die for me?" I asked. He looked slightly puzzled by my question._

  


_"Of course I would Boss. You know that." He answered._

  


_"Good. You can save my life Cranks. Jump into the well, and tell the people down there the same thing you just told me."_

  


_The fool did as I asked. The Egyptian stood without a word as Cranks jumped in, unaware that he would really be dying. A minute or two later Cranks came flying back out. _

  


_"His soul belongs to the well now. His life is yours. Just touch his body." The Egyptian told me. As I did so, a tingling sensation shot through my arm and along my entire body. The sensation was not completely unpleasant. It slowly faded, leaving me feeling more alive than I have for two months._

  


_"It did not work." The Egyptian suddenly said. I glared at him. _

  


_"What?" I asked, my grip tightening on my gun._

  


_"You are too ill. The Well has stopped your illness from spreading and stopped you from aging. However you must give the Well a Soul every two years to keep alive. I do not Bellevue everyone will fall for the same trick that man did." He said. I nodded. _

  


_Two years... two years would be enough to form some kind of plan... maybe if I managed destroy someone's will, to have them know nothing but I... it might work. And I have two years to find someone. The Egyptian also told me that from now on there will be a ritual before a soul is given... something about keeping the dead happy. _

  


_On yes, the Egyptian is coming with me. He will probably be useful. I will have to find him a name though, one that does not stand out. Smith or Brown perhaps.'_

  


Mina stopped reading and put the paper back down. There was a short silence as the League looked at each other. 

  


"He... he's going to use Sawyer in that ritual thing?" Skinner finally asked.

  


"It would seem so." Captain Nemo said. "A monstrous plan, Colonel Moritay is a fiend in human form."

  


"S-speaking of someone in human form..." Dr. Jekyll said, his hands opening and closing. "Is there anything there that tells us about Smith?"

  


~~~ 

  


The boat which had been created from the plans of the _Nautilus _plowed though the waves, the moon lighting it's way. Smith stood on the prow, staring into the dark blue waters. Tom moved along and stood next to him without a word. Smith continued to stare into the water and Tom continued to stare at Smith. The American didn't blink or turn away. 

  


"What is it?" Smith asked.

  


"The Master wants to see you." Tom said. Smith nodded to show he understood and Tom bowed before walking away. For a few more seconds, Smith carried on staring down at the water before turning and walking towards where his Boss was. He would be glad when this was all over and they had got ridden of the boy. He was dangerous to keep around, this one had friends - friends who might still come after them, even after everything Sawyer had done.

  


Smith entered the Colonel's cabin and bowed to his Boss. Mr. Big was sitting in a soft chair, Tom Sawyer kneeing by his side, his head bowed. The bowed head was level with the Colonel's hand, meaning he could place his palm on the boys hair to show who was in control. Smith couldn't help but think back to only a few days ago when Sawyer was acting in a completely different way.

  


_Flashback..._

  


_Smith faced Tom Sawyer, the arrogant look present on Smith's face as always, a look of hate in Tom's green eyes. Behind Tom, a large sailor was holding the American by the side of his arms, pinning him so he couldn't move. On the table between them was a bowl containing cold water. Smith slapped Tom, hard, across the cheek._

  


_"Who is your master?" The Egyptian asked. Tom growled and glared at his tormentor, the fury written all to clearly on his face._

  


_"Go to hell." Tom spat out. Unexpectedly Smith smiled and stood up, moving round and placing his hands on the back of Tom's head. With a violent push he pressed down on Tom's hair, forcing the American's head under the water. Tom struggled, unable to life his head. After about six seconds Smith pulled Tom's head back into the air. Tom gasped, trying to get the much needed oxygen into his body._

  


_"Who is your master?" Smith asked again. Tom shook his head, too weak to form words. The meaning in the defiant head gesture was all to clear to Smith and the Egyptian pushed Tom's head back under the water. Each time, Smith held Tom under the water for a little longer and held him above the water for shorter periods of time._

  


_Yet still Tom refused to submit. _

  


_Finally with a growl of rage, Smith backed away and nodded at the sailor. The large man released Tom Sawyer and the American Agent dropped to the ground, still gasping for breath. Smith raised a booted foot and slammed his boot into Tom's stomach. The Agent groaned and rolled away, trying to curl up around his injured flesh, unable to do anything else. _

  


_Smith gave a dramatic sigh and reached into his coat, pulling out a small bottle. Tom's eyes widened in horror and despair as he saw the bottle and realized what was in it. Smith bent down uncorking the bottle and pouring the contents into Tom's mouth, the American still to weak after the water incident to fight against the liquid running down his throat._

  


_Tom struggled weakly for a few seconds before lapsing into an unconsciousness state. Smith waited, watching the prone body for any signs of movement. After nearly five minutes, Tom began to stir, moving his head slightly. Smith bent down and grabbed Tom's collar, pulling him to his feet. _

  


_The American stared at Smith, his eyes big and blank. There was no trace of the sparkle that normally resided in Tom's eyes, no trace of the warmth. Smith smiled._

  


_"Who is your master?" He asked again. Tom bowed his head in submission._

  


_"Mr. Big is my master." Tom said, gazing at the floor, his hands clasped behind his back, looking ever inch the obedient servant. Water dripped from hair, a reminder to Smith that the boy still had a will._

  


_"That's right." Smith purred, placing two fingers under Tom's chin and bringing his head up until it was level with Smith's face. "Mr. Big is your master and soon, you will always believe that." He said. Tom didn't react to Smith's words and continued to stare blankly ahead. _

  


_Inside though, he was screaming._

  


_End Flashback... _

  


Smith blinked a few times as he focused his mind back onto Mr. Big. 

  


"It won't be long now." The Colonel said. The two men's eyes lowed and they gazed at Tom Sawyer. Smith's lips curled up into a smile.

  


"That's right Boss... won't be long now." He said.

  


~~~ 

  


Mina sorted though the papers, looking for a certain one. The paper she was looking for was different to the others. For a start it was a lot newer and written in English. Mina made a small sound as she found it.

  


"I translated some parts into English." She said. "The diary entry after the one I read to you talks all about Smith... starting with that line." She added, pointing at a certain sentence on the paper. It had been underlined and circled a few times by Mina. They looked over her shoulder at the single sentence.

  


_"How can you kill someone who is already dead?"_

  


TBC...

  


Part 14 is done! I can't believe it, this is by far the longest story I've written. Part 15 will be up as soon as I can write it.

  


Please leave a review!

  


~Sethoz


	15. The Fallen Ones

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. This chapter is just a little bit shorter than the other's I'm afraid. But it does explain all about Smith! Yes, finally, Smith's origins are reveled. There are a few mentions of Egyptian God's and a Pharaoh.

Not only that, but we are not half way through this story! And I own the LXG dvd! *is jumping up and down, blissfully happy* So, everything is good. :) Now, the shout outs,

**Clez:- ***ducks the frying pan* Okay... put the pan down, everything is fine... *is lying through her teeth* Nothing bad is going to happen to Tom any more... aww... 'masterpiece'? I think you're exaggerating! *blushes*

**Angharad:- **Glad you're liking it, kill him? Moi? ;) Yeah, I did see the 'Hound of the Baskervilles' last year, should have heard my scream followed by manic giggles when I realized he was Moritay in this movie... though I _did _get some funny looks from the people sitting near me. 

**Graymoon74:- ***innocent halo* I can assure you, that that thought of Tom and slaves, has _never_ crossed my mind... ;) Still getting the chills huh. 

**Rayne:- **You said Spiffy! *giggles* That's such a cool word... anyway, the plot should un-thicken more in this part. Throw him down a well? Would I? 

**Niani:- **You love it? Thanks!

**Silent Bob 546:- **Your confused? Hope this part helps. Yes, this is a long story. (This is only half way after all.) 

**freedomfighter82:- ***stares down the well* You know... Tom isn't down there... he's still on the boat with Mr. Big and Smith. *throws down a light* Glad you like this, hope you like this part as well. That is, assuming you can get out of that well...

**LotRseer3350:- ***taps her foot* So you muse still hasn't shown up... hope she hurries, I really want to read the next part! Hope you enjoy this part!

**Thunderjam:-** awesome? Aww, shucks. 

And now, without further ado, the next part;

**The Bodyguard.**

~~~

Part Fifteen:- The Fallen Ones

~~~

_"How can you kill someone who is already dead?"_

The League all stared down at the line, as if by staring at it they could make it change into something that made more sense. Skinner was the first to disrupt the quiet, unable to stand just it for any longer.

"So...?" He said, starting the sentence then trailing away, before turning his painted face towards Mina. Even though it was impossible to read the emotions on his face, the one word had managed to convey everything he felt. The anger at not being able to rescue Tom from Mr. Big, the shock at seeing Tom fighting against them, the fear when Tom had shot one of Nemo's sailors and the despair when Nemo had voiced his objections over going after Tom. 

"So, what is Smith?" Skinner finally said, finishing his sentence at last. Mina picked up a yellowing piece of paper and scanned it, her whole body radiating calm.

"Smith is a Nephilim..." Mina said calmly. "That is Hebrew Mr. Skinner." She added, sensing Skinner's clear confusion. Dr. Jekyll pulled out his watch, little rainbows of color bouncing off it, as the male members of the League waited for Mina to elaborate on what she had just said. The Vampire just sat there, her eyes flicking from side to side as she read the yellow paper.

"Wh-what is a Nephilim?" Dr. Henry Jekyll said at last. Skinner picked up his glass and emptied it of the liquid inside in one gulp. He snorted.

"Who cares what a Nephilim is?" He said, his voice slightly unsteady. The floating hat and white face turned away from the ground and moved towards the drink cabinet. He hovered above the different bottles, stuck for choice about what drink to have next.

"Know your enemy Mr. Skinner and you know how to defeat him." Captain Nemo said stiffly, his hand resting on the hilt of his elaborate sword. 

"We need to know as much as we can about this Smith, so we can find his weakness. Otherwise how can we hope to fight and defeat him? How can we hope to save Agent Sawyer?" He said. Skinner froze in mid-act, the bottle of whiskey he had chosen tipped at an angle. The painted face looked over at Nemo.

"You're right of course Nemo, me old mate." he said gruffly, continuing his action of pouring a drink. He put the glass up to his lips and drank the drink quickly, as if hoping the temporary escape of drink could banish from his mind the feeling that he should be out there, doing something to save Tom, even though he knew in his heart that he had no idea where to start. Mina gave a prim little cough, drawing everyone's attention back onto her. 

"Literally, the word nephilim means "the fallen ones" and is a common euphemism for "the dead" in Hebrew." She started. 

"Nephilims are mentioned in the bible... in Genesis, I believe, my memory is not what it once was. At that time the offspring of the Sons of God and the daughters of men are called Nephilim, who are the 'heroes of old, the men of renown.' Simply put they are the dead, fallen warriors." Mina finished. 

"Right, so Smith is a fallen warrior. How does that help us? I mean, it doesn't tell us why he's alive or how to defeat him." Skinner slurred, his voice thick with the tones of a drunk. 

"It's all here... in this dairy entry of Mr. Big." Mina said. She carefully picked up the paper and cleared her throat.

"I have only translated the first line into English, so I will have to read the rest out loud." She said calmly.

_'How can you kill someone who is already dead?_

_That question has been plaguing me, ever since I discovered the truth about my new servant - I deiced to call him 'Smith', it sounds very English and anonymous. Also there must be hundreds of Smith's in London alone, so his name will not aid police if they ever are searching for him. _

_But I wander from the topic at hand. There seems to be no way to kill Smith, for the simple reason he is already dead. I have asked him again and again about his past, who and what he is. For some reason he answered every question I asked him, he tells me he is what the Christians call a 'Nephilim'. I will try and set it down here, in order to remember it fully for the future. I have written it just as Smith said it..._

_"Long ago, I was a bodyguard of the Pharaoh, Rameses II. It was he who first discovered the Well and learnt how to use its powers. At that time there was no end of people willing to lay down there lives for there God. We believed that once we had entered the well and given our life energy to the sprits that resided within, we would enter the underworld and be rewarded by the great God, Osiris. The truth was, as it so often is Boss, so very different. The living God had been using the well for nearly twenty years when my turn came to give my life for him. I was so proud, confident that this would be my by great task, and my reward - paradise. I entered the Well, where the spirits asked one question;_

_"Have you give your life willingly?" Of course, I said Yes. Then... there was nothing but pain. Pain through my whole body, covering me in a kind of purple light. It was my soul being removed from my living flesh. It was at this time, that I expected to join the ranks of Osiris, to meet Hathor on my journey and have my heart weighted against the feather of truth. Instead, my soul joined the other spirits, remaining in the Well. We blended together, all the souls, until individual thought or memory was impossible. I do not know how many years passed - time was not something we measured. Every now and then, another soul would join us, and for a brief time when we were absorbing the memories and experiences, we knew what was happening in the outside world._

_Rameses II died at last, when he made the mistake of flinging an unwilling sacrifice to us. We refused to help him and he died of old age. We knew that he was no God. _

_So much time must have passed, and we were forgotten, for no one gave us any more Souls. The sands of time passed over us and we almost forgot we once were part of the world. Roughly one hundred years ago we were found again, and a new soul joined our ranks. The world had changed so much since the last member had joined us, we did not understand this new place. We had only just begun to understand when the guardian of the Well was killed. It meant that a new guardian must be formed. For some reason, I was chosen and for the first time since my 'death', I was an individual again._

_I was given the dagger of the well and instructed to guard it from trespassers. _

_You ask how I was able to become human again Boss? You are right, my body had long ago crumbled back into dust. But there still lurked in the combined memory of all the souls, the imprint of what I used to look like. Using the sand and our power of life we created a body, but a body of bone, and hanging flesh. We did not have the power to create a living body from nothing. For a long time, like the guardians before me, I guarded the well, in my rotten corpse._

_However, I was vain. I had studied the magic's of my people when I had lived and believed there was a way to create the illusion of a healthy body. As you can see Boss, it worked and I was able to cast a spell which gave me the illusion of what I used to look like. I soon learnt that I could turn it on and off at will and that I could also give the illusion of other people, though I have to study them in great detail, to make sure I can create them correctly. Otherwise, I could miss little things, like eye color._

_That is my story Boss. The rest you know. You defeated me in combat and now I am your loyal servant, willing to do anything you command."_

_A few interesting things to note from his story. One, there **must **be some way to kill Smith, as he stated the guardian before him died. Two, the person who gives his life must tell the spirits that he is doing it of his own free will. Three, he is willing to do any thing I tell him to. And last... Smith is almost as old as the pyramids!'_

Mina stopped and sighed deeply. She rubbed at her eyes with a gloved hand, suddenly feeling very tired. 

"It doesn't tell us how to kill Smith, but there must be some way." She said softly, trying to mask the extreme tiredness, that had suddenly swept upon her. 

"Even if we knew how to kill Smith, we do not know where he is, or where they have taken Agent Sawyer. We don't even know where this 'Well of Souls' is. The seas of the world are vast, and we have no way to track them." Nemo announced. 

"How can we hope to stop them, if we know nothing." He added. Skinner's face - which had lit up at the thought of helping Tom - had dropped and he picked up his glass, yet another alcohol filled drink in it. Dr. Jekyll and Mina looked at each other, the despair clear on the female Vampire's face. She didn't have the energy to mask it.

"We may not know where they are taking Tom exactly, but we know that it is in Egypt. That is a start" Dr. Jekyll said, gathering some courage from an unknown source. "We can not just let them to this to him, he is a friend, and more than that... Tom is family." There was a short, uncomfortable silence.

"You're right Dr. Jekyll. We will get him back... and they will pay." Mina vowed. Skinner grinned and held up his glass in a toast.

"To famil-" He began, before sliding to the ground in a boneless heap, his glass slipping from his hand and falling to the ground. Skinner began to snore lightly, oblivious to the long suffering looks Mina and Henry Jekyll were giving each other. Captain Nemo turned and headed towards the bridge, ready to give the order to set sail - leaving the other two the task of getting an unconsciousness Skinner back to his own room.

"To Egypt." Nemo said.

TBC...

While people like Smith are mentioned in the bible, I am by no way suggesting they are all evil.

The Gods mentioned were; Osiris, who was the king of the dead and Hathor, the Goddess who, among other things, guided the dead to Osiris. 

Rameses II is famous as he ruled for over 60, an incredible feat at the time! 

Now that you've read, please, please leave a review!

~Sethoz


	16. On the Bank of the Mississippi River

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the last part, I was worried it was a bit... dull. Anyway, here are the shout outs;

**LotRseer3350:- **Ah, yes, I've read some other books by Thomas E. Sniegoski, he's quite good. *pokes at your writers block* Perhaps you should take some tables to get rid of it? ;) 

**Angharad:- **I'm glad you're loving this, and kill Tom? Wait and see... wait and see... *laughs oddly*

**Clez:- **You know, you're the only person who mentioned the lack of Tom-ness. But to make it all better, this part is all about Tom! 

**Funyun:- **More you shall have.

**Rayne:- **I know, Skinner keeps getting drunk, even though I don't want him to... damn these characters getting a mind of their own. ;) 

**Silent Bob 546:- **thanks for the compliment. *happy smile*

**Graymoon74:- **Ah yes... you have been looking at my notes haven't you! Stop working out little bits of the plot! *laughs* Save Tom? Maybe later...

**Capt.Cow:- **This soon enough?

**Niani:- **Glad that you're enjoying it, and as for Egypt... *sighs* I just love that place so much... the mythology, the delta, th- oops, that might give the plot away. ;)

And Now... 

**The Bodyguard.**

~~~

Part Sixteen:- On the Bank of the Mississippi River 

~~~

_He was running along the bank of the Mississippi, laughing as he pulled ahead of Huck and Joe, his long legs pounding the ground. Tom skidded to a stop and turned back to face his friends, a mocking smile on his face. Huck and Joe rolled their eyes, Tom had beaten them in a race yet again. Sighing in contentment, Tom leaned against a tree, the rough bark digging into his back. He began to chew on the stem of a grass stalk as he watched his two best friends._

_Something was wrong with this... something didn't seem right... Tom stared at Huck and Joe as they began to fight each other, he had the strangest feeling of having seen all this before. And... Huck... something was wrong with Huck, some little detail was nagging away at him, coming out of the dark places of thought and swelling up in his mind, refusing to leave him alone until he heard it. Tom rubbed at his eyes, trying to will the through to come to the surface, so he could think it, then let his brain go blank and just enjoy the rest of the day, before Aunt Polly made him come inside - or worse, make him take his half brother Sid, out with him. Sid would tell her everything Tom did... the thought came to the front of his mind suddenly and with such force that Tom took a step backwards in shock._

_Huck was dead._

_Tom shook his head fiercely, refusing to even entertain that thought any longer. Huck wasn't dead, couldn't be dead, he was right in front of him! _

_"Uncle! Uncle!" Joe yelled, pinned completely under Huck. The other boy laughed gleefully, rolling off Joe then standing up, flashing a white grin at Tom. The two boys moved towards Tom, then stopped, frozen in place, their eyes locked on something behind the third American. Tom slowly peered around the side of the tree trunk._

_A young woman was standing there, an eery look on her face, as she stared at the three children. She took a step forward and spoke in a low, husky voice._

_"Begone." She said. Huck and Joe looked at each other, then took off like a shot, running so fast that they almost seemed like blurs. Tom, on the other hand, remained leaning against the tree, unable to move, as if a spell had been cast on his legs. The young woman stepped up to the 10 year old boy, a sad smile on her face._

_"Tom... this is a good place for you, in your memory, a time of peace, but it is not real. It will only trick you. You have to accept what you already know." The woman said. Tom stared at her, his body growing, his appearance changing, until he no longer looked like the muddy footed ten year old boy but instead the 25 year old American Agent._

_"Huck is dead." He said softly, unwanted tears filling his eyes. The dream girl nodded, as Tom let out a sigh. _

_"Wake up." She whispered, moving closer to him and blowing gently on his hair. "You must wake up now, Special Agent Thomas Sawyer."_

Tom woke, his body automatically fighting, his limbs lashing out wildly. The American blinked rapidly, trying to focus his eyes, even as his body jerked, his leg catching Smith off guard. The Egyptian snarled, touching his stomach where he had been kicked. Smith moved forward again and hit Tom hard in the groin, causing Tom to give an abrupt shout of pain, which was cut off by Smith's large hand covering his mouth. Tom thrashed out, trying to brake free of the other man's hold. With his free hand Smith pulled out the ever present white drug and used his teeth to open the top, then removed his hand and poured the drug into Tom's mouth.

The liquid slipped down his throat, coating it as it went. Already he could feel the child-like terror swelling up inside of him, threatening to engulf him, before downing him in it's despair. Tom fought desperately against it, trying to keep afloat and above the darkness that wanted to separate his mind from his body. He clawed and struggled, using every trick he knew to keep himself together. But already he could feel himself slipping, his grasp on himself fading, until he was sliding away, his fingers scraping against a smooth wall. Tom gave a silent wail of despair, as he slipped away, then fell, his mind feeling the imaginary air as he fell through it.

The he completely fell into the darkness, and the terror took him, leaving his body under Smith's control. Smith stepped away as Tom's body relaxed and became slack, his eyes becoming glassy. 

"Boy!" Smith snapped. Tom's head turned to face Smith, devoid of any expression. "Your Master wishes to see you." The young American nodded once, then turned and walked stiffly away. He walked along at a steady pace until he reached the state room belonging to Mr. Big and knocked on it, entering after Mr. Big told him to.

"Ah, Sawyer. There you are." Mr. Big said, his voice almost a purr. He gestured to a cushion beside his chair and and Tom silently moved over to it, kneeing down and bowing his head. Smith entered the room a few minutes later, rolling his eyes as he saw Tom.

"Must you do that Boss?" He asked, pointing at Tom. Mr. Big nodded sharply, and Smith remained silent, knowing he couldn't disagree with this man.

"We are nearing the cost of Egypt." Smith said, fingering the ornate Dagger of the Well. "The time for the ritual is very near." He added. 

"Good. You hear that Sawyer? Soon you will do what you are here to do." Mr. Big said softly, looking at Tom Sawyer, who kept his head bowed. Mr. Big yawned and stretched his arms, feeling tired all of a sudden. Smith noticed this.

"Boss... your illness could come back at any time now, we are over the two year limit by a few days. You should get some rest and keep your strength up, soon you will be restored to your heath." The Egyptian said. The Colonel nodded in agreement.

"Smith, take my Bodyguard to his... room." Mr. Big commanded. Smith nodded and Tom bowed at his master, then stood there, his hands held behind his back, his face neutral as he waited for Smith.

Smith walked up to Tom, and lead him below deck, the American following as quietly and as well behaved as a lamb. He was led along the engine room, past the boiler and into a small room, with no windows and only one door, which could only be opened and shut from the outside. Inside the wooden room, the only thing in it was a pair of chains and some handcuffs. Tom walked over to them and without any auguring, placed his hands inside the cuffs. Smith locked them together, giving the chain a quick tug to make sure it wouldn't come loose, before exiting the room, locking the door behind him as he went, leaving Tom alone in the room.

Slowly, Tom felt the effects of the drug leave his body and he sighed, resting his head against the wooden wall. After each injection, Tom was finding it harder and harder to separate his own thoughts from what he was told to do. The first few times, Tom had fought as soon as he could, hating what he was being made to do. But - after a while - he then found himself agreeing with Mr. Big. That scared Tom most of all, that soon, he would have no free will at all. The American sighed softly, his eyes straying to the cuffs that chained him to the wood, which was part of the boat itself. He gave a small tug on the chains, knowing that they wouldn't come loose, his wrists still bandaged up from the last time he had tried to escape from them.

Tom sighed again, and stared morosely around the room. There wasn't anything else to look at besides varnished wood panels and nothing for him to occupy his mind with besides his current situation. The League had been so close - twice - that he could have reached out and touched them. And each time he had been completely under the control of that dammed drug. The first time he had been inside the _Nautilus_ - inside, and he had left, he had returned to Smith and Mr. Big because he had no control over his legs. The second time the League had known he was not himself, they had been standing a few feet away from him, the drug was wearing off and he was starting to regain control of himself. Then Smith had snapped an order at him and his body had jumped, even though his mind had screamed no.

Now the League knew he was with Mr. Big and Smith - and hopefully they knew he wasn't here of his own free will. It scared Tom, the thought that the League would just leave him here, believing that the American Agent was working for their enemy - just like Dorian Gray. Tom shook his head.

_They wouldn't do that... they know I would never betray them... Mina was drugged as well... _Tom thought, refusing to allow himself to carry on thinking like that.

When Tom was under the drug, he could see everything that happened, but it was as if he was watching through someone else - rather like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But when the drug wore off he remembered everything he had done, and slowly these two faces of Tom were starting to merge into one.

Tom closed his eyes, a solitary tear trickling down his cheek. Gently his breathing became even and his posture relaxed as he slipped off into sleep, and then into dreams.

_He was running along the bank of the Mississippi, laughing as he pulled ahead of Huck and Joe, his long legs pounding the ground. Tom skidded to a stop and turned back to face his friends, a mocking smile on his face. Huck and Joe rolled their eyes, Tom had beaten them in a race yet again. Sighing in contentment, Tom leaned against a tree, the rough bark digging into his back. He began to chew on the stem of a grass stalk as he watched his two best friends._

_The sound of a twig snapping behind Tom made the little boy turn his head. A young woman was walking towards them, her long brown hair being blown about by the wind. She came up to Tom and peered into his eyes, looking for something that was not there. Tom began to fidget slightly._

_"Hey Lady..." He muttered. "What are ya doing?" He asked. "Can I help ya with something?" He added, trying to be polite, like his Aunt had taught him. The dream girl backed away as if she had been shot, a worried look on her face._

_"Don't you know me Tom Sawyer?" She asked. Tom's mouth fell open as the woman said his name, the grass stalk falling out of his mouth as he did so._

_"How do you know my name Missy?" He demanded. The dream girl sighed sadly, her eyes betraying nothing of what she really felt. _

_"You don't know me, do you..." She said softly. Tom shook his head as Huck and Joe finished the mock fighting, Huck emerging the victor. His two friends ran up to Tom and the dream girl, looking at the stranger with some interest._

_"No Ma'am." Tom said, when it became clear that she wasn't going to reply to his non-verbal answer._

_"I was afraid of that..." She muttered, looking down at the ground. There was a short, uncomfortable pause, then she looked back up a forced smile on her face, and a mysterious far away look in her eyes._

_"Never mind." The dream girl said, taking Tom's hand and shaking it. "It was very nice to meet you Tom Sawyer." She added, letting go of Tom's hand. The boy looked at her a confused expression on his young face._

_"It was nice to meet you as well Ma'am." Tom replied. The dream girl nodded as Tom turned away from her, back to his friends. The three boys all ran off, forgetting they had even seen the girl. She watched them go, her expression frozen._

_Tom Sawyer had lost. He had forgotten himself, retreating to the safely of his childhood and in doing so, leaving his body open to total control by Mr. Big and Smith. The dream girl had done all she could - the rest was up to Tom himself and she didn't know if he could fight it. It was starting to look as if this boy would be given to the well, just like all the people before him. Slowly the dream girl faded away, knowing that she couldn't visit him anymore - he wouldn't be able to see her - he would only see what Mr. Big wanted him to see._

TBC...

Hope you all enjoyed this part, and that you all leave a review. Till the next part, bye!

~Sethoz


	17. The Dark Continent

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. For those who don't want to read me blabbing on, feel free to skip the shout outs and go right onto part 17 of Bodyguard. The title come from - well, it should be clear eh, especially if you watch the scene between Allan and Reed at the start of the movie of LXG. Anyway, here are the shout outs;

**Clez:- ***Huggles Clez* There, there it may never happen... except it already did... okay... look, a new part! *smiles innocently* Maybe they save Tom and live happily ever after... *sniggers*

**Rayne:- **Glad you liked the dreams, we won't be seeing the dream girl for a bit though - as only Tom could see her and at the moment he can't.

**Silent Bob 546:- **He tried. It's so good that you're enjoying this!

**LotRseer3350:- **Aw, stop it, I'm going to get a swollen head! If I told you what's going to happen to Tom, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?

**Angharad:- **It's the only way to get reviews ;)

**Niani:- **It was a bit sad wasn't it... 

**Graymoon74:- ***Looks down* I'm sowwy... should I just stop writing then? ;) Will Tom snap out of it? Will he end up at the bottom of a well? Just have to wait and see... The League? They... were... having sherry and giggles. Yeah, don't worry, Mr. Big will... well... he might die in a nasty way... depends how much he annoys everyone.

And Now...

**The Bodyguard.**

~~~

Part Seventeen:- The Dark Continent

~~~

The ship that had based on blueprints of The _Nautilus_, plowed through the water of the River Nile, leaving a wake of turbulent water behind it as it did so. The prow cut though the water effortlessly, sending up a faint spray of white foam, that almost reached the deck of the boat. It sped past the cruise ships, where the rich and idle of Britain and other nations would come to gape at the stone wonders of Egypt and her ancient past. It sped past the Felucca - the traditional boats sailed by the native Egyptians, the wake of the water making them tilt alarmingly, and causing the owners to shout colorful curses at the ship as it silently moved past them.

The ship finally slowed to a stop just outside the capital, Cairo. The natives and tourists alike came to gape at the ship which moved with such power and grace. A hole suddenly appeared in the side of the ship, causing the people near that area to back away, the more nervous making the evil eye sign. A large gangway was placed from the hole to reach the ground, the sailors who placed it there, worked with out a sound. Three people slowly walked down the ramp, all dressed in native clothes, the robes covering their faces, and going all the way down to their feet. The man in the lead walked confidently over to a fat looking merchant and began to talk in a low voice. The other two men waited at the base of the ramp, the shorter of the two hovering near the other one protectively, a Winchester rifle slung over his shoulder. The last man tapped his foot impatiently, his cold blue eyes staring over at the crowd. No-one seemed able to hold the man's gaze, all looking away after only a few seconds. The first man nodded at the fat merchant and slipped a few coins in to the waiting man's hand, then headed back to his two companions.

"Boss, we could take the ship right down to the city." Smith said in a low voice. Mr. Big shook his head, peering out of his hood at Tom Sawyer who was scanning the crowds, his hand always just a few inches away from his Colt pistols. Smith followed his gaze and sighed softly.

"You want to drag it out, don't you Boss." He said. Mr. Big frowned, a wide range of emotions playing over his face.

"I want to travel the last 17km on donkey." He said abruptly, turning away from Smith. "Sawyer, come here." He called. Tom's head instantly snapped round and he hurried over to his master's side, taking his place next to him.

"Boss, the spirits of the Well, they don't like tricks like this. They won't like you dragging this out. Don't antagonize them." Smith pleaded. Mr. Big gave a short, humorless laugh.

"I have no intention of antagonizing them." He said, clearly ending the conversation at that. Smith nodded and moved away, searching for the donkey seller the fat merchant had recommended. He soon found his way to a wiry thin man, mostly by just following his nose, which lead him right to the stink of donkey dung. The two started to talk quickly and soon the serious business of haggling began.

About half an hour later, Smith was leading four fine donkeys, each in top shape, all ready for the trek ahead. Smith jumped gracefully onto the lead donkey, landing like a cat. He looked over his shoulder, staring hard at his shadow, a hint of worry on his face. Then he turned back to face the desert sands of Egypt. Mr. Big climbed on the second donkey a little slower, having to accept some help from Tom. The young American then loaded the last donkey with a few items they would need before climbing the third donkey and sitting tall upon it. He took the reins of the last donkey, and clicked his teeth together, following Smith and Mr. Big.

~~~ 

The _Nautilus_ made good time from the coast of Scotland, soon reaching the tip of Africa. Skinner was standing on the conning tower, staring moodily at the passing landscape when he heard lightfoot steps behind him and a faint, almost intoxicating perfume reached his nose. He knew, without turning around that Mina had come out into the fresh air. She moved up to the railing next to the invisible man and silently stared out at the sea and land.

"Does Nemo know where we are going then?" Skinner asked at last, unable to stand silence when someone else was around. Mina nodded, turning her face to stare at him with her perfectly formed blue eyes, that were so deep you could fall into them.

"Our first clue was the fact Mr. Big called the place where the well is a Necropolis..." Mina said.

"A what?"

"It's Greek, Mr. Skinner. It means 'City of the dead'. Think of it as an overgrown graveyard. The Egyptians took burring their dead very seriously. It has buildings just like a normal city, only the people living there are dead." Mina answered, her gaze drifting back to Africa. She sighed deeply.

"If they cared about the dead as much as they are supposed to, they have to have more than one Necropolis right? How did you know which one is the one?" Skinner asked in confusion. 

"The diary entries mention the pyramid of Unas and a causeway which leads to the entrance which is under the pyramid. I checked some of Captain Nemo's books. An Unas is mentioned, his pyramid is located in Saqqara. The main Necropolis of the Ancient Egyptian world." Mina smiled as she said it, letting the sun play on her face. Skinner watched in fascination. He had always thought Vampires would die if exposed to sunlight, but Mina had proved him wrong.

"Then to Saqqara we go." Skinner said in a sing song voice, skipping off to go inside, his skin till tender and prone to burning after his near toasting experience just over four months ago. Mina watched him go, then turned back to face Africa.

They would catch up with their enemy very soon.

~~~ 

The 17km trip to Saqqara was uneventful for the three men as they followed the course of the Nile as it wove its way through the lush flood plains. They soon reached the entrance to the city. The donkey Smith was riding suddenly stopped and refused to pass into the dead city, no matter how much Smith coxed or whipped it. He climbed down from it and lead it along the side of the city, driving a stake into the ground then tiring the reins of the donkey around it. Mr. Big and Tom Sawyer did the same. Mr. Big stepped ahead of the other two, breathing deeply, sand entering though his nose, though he seemed oblivious to it. He strode along an ancient causeway, without looking back. Tom looked over at Smith for a second, something stirring deep with the glazed green eyes. Then he trotted after Mr. Big.

Smith slowly extended his lean arm, letting it pass the boundary of Saqqara. Though the arm remained the same, the shadow it cast had altered drastically. The shadow was of a rotting arm, bits of flesh hanging off it. He slowly pulled his arm back and the shadow became normal again. It always amused Smith to see how when he was in Saqqara, the sun showed his true form.

"Smith!" Mr. Big yelled, getting his attention. The Egyptian shook himself mentally and hurried after his Boss, his hand resting on the Dagger of the Well. He wanted to be ready for anything. They hadn't seen the League yet and this worried Smith slightly, he didn't think they were the type to just give up. Even if they didn't come after them to save Agent Sawyer, they should have come after them to try and get their revenge on the American - if they believed he had indeed betrayed them.

Smith hurried after his Boss, his senses alert, ready for any sign that might tell him the League were already here. Of course, they didn't know where Mr. Big and the rest were going, but he doubted such a small flaw would stop their plans for very long. Soon the guardian of the Well had caught up with the other two and they hurried towards the entrance to the maze which would would lead to the Well and then to the restored heath of Mr. Big.

~~~ 

The _Nautilus _raced through the Nile, heading towards Saqqara as fast as Captain Nemo would make her. It moved silently, deadly, the League all inside, all tense, ready for action. Mina couldn't stop the paranoid thoughts that ran though her head. What if she was wrong? What if the diary entry was a blind or a mistake made by Mr. Big himself? They could spend days searching the underground caverns of Saqqara and not realize they were in the wrong place until it was too late - assuming they ever found their way out of the maze afterwards. Suddenly the _Nautilus _slowed to a stop, pausing outside of Cairo. The League looked slightly confused as one of Nemo's sailors raced past them, heading for one of the many exits of the ship. He jumped out and darted towards one of the merchants, talking frantically and pointing at something on the Nile. Dr. Jekyll, who had followed the sailor, turned his head to look at what the man was pointing at. His mouth fell open in surprise.

"Smith's ship is here!" he called back to the rest of the League. Skinner and Mina exchanged a look, confused by this turn of events. What was Smith's ship doing here if they were supposed to be heading for Saqqara? Unless they were lucky enough to have caught up with them already. 

The sailor passed a few coins to the man he was talking to then hurried back to the _Nautilus._ He ran past Dr. Jekyll and began to whisper in Nemo's ear, reporting to his Captain. The Indian nodded and dismissed him, turning to face the League, who had crowed around him, varying degrees of worry on their faces.

"Smith, Mr. Big and Tom Sawyer all passed this way about ten hours ago, traveling down the by the side of the Nile on donkeys. They probably only just reached Saqqara, if that is where they are heading. It will take us mere minutes to reach that city. We are catching up." Captain Nemo said. Skinner smiled and punched the air with his fist.

"Yes!"

TBC...

There really is a Necropolis called Saqqara, which does indeed have the pyramid of Unas and the Unas Causeway.

Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review on your way out!

~Sethoz


	18. Saqqara

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. This is what I like to think of as the start of the build up to the dramatic end. So that means the cliffhangers may get just a _little_ bit more nasty. Or then again, they might not. Anyway, here are the shout outs;

**Clez:- **Research? Yeah... you could say that... it's not that I'm obsessed by Egypt or anything. *coughs* Moving on. Glad you're loving this ;)

**Angharad:- **Yeah, I'm a meany. And your point is? ;) 

**Silent Bob 546:- **I'm going to take a wild guess and say you like donkeys ;) So I put some in this part just for you :) 

**Niani:- **History lesson? I... don't know what you mean. *halo appears* 

**LotRseer3350:- **Shiny??? Where? Shiny??? Ahem - a fight? Have you been looking at my notes? 

**Freedomfighter82:- **Throw Tom down a well? Me? Would I do that? Would I? Glad you enjoyed it. Cuddle and love him? You can do that if you jump down after him... if he was in a well, which he's not.

**Roz:- **Nice to hear from you again Roz :) A new SW fic?? Yay, have to go and read that. Hope you're be back on-line properly soon.

Woah, that's enough of me blabbering on, so here is the next part of...

**The Bodyguard.**

~~~ 

Part Eighteen:- Saqqara

~~~ 

The League were all standing on the conning tower, each looking west towards Saqqara. They stood in silence, eyes fixed on the pyramids, their tips reaching towards the heavens. From what they could see, the Necropolis known as Saqqara was empty, devoid of any moving life bar the odd crocodile that was sunning itself by the entrance near the river bank. The lack of human movement could be a good thing or a bad thing. For all they knew they were too late and Tom was already dead - Mr. Big and Smith could have gone. 

Mina took half a step closer to the railings, staring out at the desert landscape, using her enhanced senses to scan the area. She frowned and leant her head forward, using her right hand to shade her eyes as she tried to make out what the four little black dots she could see where. 

"I think I can see some donkeys..." The female Vampire mummered at last. She turned her whole body, placing her back to the sight as she looked at the assembled group. 

"So are we thinking Sawyer and the rest are there?" Skinner asked, standing in the shadows. He had no wish to step forward into the blinding sun and stare at the desert, at the endless expansion of sand, rising in still waves for as far as the eye could see.

"I believe so." Mina answered cooly. She walked past the three men and ducked her head as she passed through the door way. "We should get ready." Her voice said, floating back out to the other members of the League. Skinner quickly followed her in, for some reason he didn't like Egypt and wanted to be away from here as soon as he could. Dr. Jekyll gave Nemo a little bow then left the tower as well, no doubt to collect some of his potion. Captain Nemo gave Saqqara one last look, his eyebrow rising slightly then he too left the tower.

~~~ 

Nemo stood in front of the small team of men he had chosen for this mission. He stood and admired the seven men he had hand picked from his crew - seven of the most loyal sailors he had working for him aboard the mighty _Nautilus._ They stood there, dressed in royal blue, weapons in their belts ready for what ever this new danger would throw at them.

"Listen to me." Nemo said and instantly seven pairs of eyes shifted, focusing on their leader, on their captain.

"We are going in to defeat Mr. Big and the man called Smith. However this is also a rescue mission. Agent Sawyer is being held by these men and it is our duty to recover him. Even so, you must understand that the boy may not be himself. He will most likely try and resist you, he may even try to attack you. Please be aware that he is not himself - Agent Sawyer is under the control of our enemies and we cannot kill him or wound him fatally. At all costs we must extract him from Saqqara alive." Nemo said. His men all bowed as one and he waved his hand, dismissing them for the moment. 

Though it was impossible to be able to guess what the Indian Captain was thinking, it was possible to see the slight shadow of doubt and uncertainty lurking in the center of his fierce black eyes. In truth, even now he was still not one hundred per cent sure that Agent Sawyer was indeed under the control of Mr. Big. There had been something in his face when he had reveled himself to the League for the very first time that refused to leave his mind and thoughts alone though it was too small a detail to be even sure it had been there. What if Madam Mina was wrong about Agent Sawyer, how Saqqara, about everything? 

_//Agent Sawyer is a most courageous man... I cannot believe he would throw in his lot with our enemies... but he seemed to almost **enjoy **attacking us...\\ _His thoughts ran in circles, chasing their own tails. 

Still, soon, one way or the other, Nemo and the rest would know just what was going on with Tom Sawyer.

~~~ 

The band of seven Indian's selected by Nemo brought up the rear of the small hunting party - for that was what they were, it was just they had a different sort of game in their sights. They hand managed to near the walls of Saqqara without seeing a single living soul - or a dead person for that matter. Mina was in the lead, using her developed sense of smell to make sure they didn't accidentally stumble across anyone without first knowing about it. Skinner and Mr. Hyde came next, Nemo a few paces behind. 

The small group reached the four black dots Mina had noticed before. They were indeed donkeys, each tied to a stake that had been driven forcibly into the ground. Mina moved up to the animals, sniffing the air around them. Perhaps it was some animal instinct or maybe just natural shyness of strangers that caused the donkeys to let loose the most dreadful sounds. To the untrained ear it sounded as if the unfortunate animals were slowly having their throats slit. Mrs. Harker moved back from the animals and the unearthly wailing stopped. She turned to look at the men, her eyes glowing.

"I can smell Agent Sawyer all over one of those Donkeys. He rode it and very recently too." She growled.

Hyde let loose a small roar and turned his head towards the Necropolis. He smiled, showing all of his razor shape teeth and causing Skinner to shudder. The monstrous man thrust out a giant fist into the middle of the small group and the other's quietly placed their own fists on top - no doubt remembering that the last time they had done this they had two other members who were now either dead or in grave danger. The League stared silently at each other until Skinner disturbed the quiet.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get our American back. He may just be an annoying, trigger happy kid, but he's our annoying, trigger happy kid, everyone else has to get their own!" Skinner said. Mina nodded in agreement and they all pulled their hands away. Giving them all one last glance Mina turned her face West, to look at Saqqara - which now looked even more imposing close up. She stepped forward in the lead, the other's automatically forming a line behind her. Mina paused and slowly ran a finger down one of the walls, tiny bits of sand coming loose as she did so. 

Then she took another step and crossed the boundary, entering Saqqara.

~~~ 

Deep in the maze that lead to the Well of Souls, Smith froze, his whole body tense, his head slightly on one side as if he was listening to something only he could hear. Mr. Big slowly turned to face him, worry on his face. Between the two stood Tom Sawyer, his face slack.

"What?" Big snapped. Smith didn't answer, a small frown appearing on his face. "What is it?" Mr. Big shouted. Slowly the frown faded and a cruel smile replaced it.

"The League have just crossed into Saqqara, Boss. They must be trying to save him." Smith said, nodding his head towards Tom. If Tom was still inside there at all he gave no indication of hearing the words let alone being happy about them. Mr. Big on the other hand, looked far from happy. 

"Why can't those fools take a hint?" He roared. Smith moved up to Tom and quickly took the bag the spy was carrying, digging in it, looking for his two arm gauntlets, the two which had a thin curved blade on each, making them deadly weapons in the right hands.

"Leave it to me Boss, I'll take care of them." Smith promised, strapping the gauntlets to his arms. Mr. Big nodded.

"Very well. But try not to drag it out, we will need you and your Dagger for the last part of the ritual." Big said, turning away from Smith. "Come Sawyer." He added and began to walk again, Tom trotting after him like an obedient dog. Smith turned his face back towards the entrance to the maze and smiled again. This would be fun.

~~~ 

The League moved rapidly along the Unas causeway, reaching the pyramid within a few minutes. As the last sailor stepped under the shadow the pyramid cast, Smith came out of the entrance to the maze, his face calm.

"Welcome League. Welcome to Saqqara, my home and soon to be eternal resting place of Special Agent Tom Sawyer" He said. Mina growled deep in her throat and stepped away from the rest of the group, pulling out one of her silver daggers in a clear challenge. Smith smiled, raising an eyebrow before bowing at her, accepting the silent challenge. He gestured behind her, stepping forward and forcing her to step back out into the blistering heat. He stepped after her, the sun stripping him of his fake shadow, letting his true form be seen on the sandy ground.

"If _you _want to enter this maze..." Smith started, emphasizing the word 'you', his attention fixed on Mina. "Then you must get past _me_." Mina pulled out the twin to the dagger she was already holding, her red eyes focused on Smith.

"The rest of you, go after Mr. Big." She growled. Nemo nodded and set off, the rest behind them. Smith watched the rest of the League walk into the shadows of the entrance under the pyramid, an odd smile on his face. Mina stared at him warily. He should have at least tried to stop them getting past him, from entering the maze which lead to his Boss. He faced Mina, the enigmatic smile still on his face. The two Immortals locked gazes for a single, tense second then charged at each other, weapons at the ready.

~~~ 

The League hurried towards the entrance, each looking behind them ever now at then at the two fighters, catching odd glimpse of the battle playing out on the sand. Then they passed under the pyramid, Mina and Smith passing from view. The three male members of the League and the seven sailors reached a pair of giant doors, all stopping and staring at the images painted on with wonder.

The giant faces of the jackal headed God, Anubis and the ibis headed God, Thoth looked down at them, towering over the humans. The two larger than life deities stared at a set of scales which ran down the crack showing where the gap between the door slabs that stood as doors was. Thoth was holding a pen and paper, poised to write down something as a heart was weighted against a single feather. Below the scales sat the creature of the netherworld, a hideous beast with the head of a crocodile, the foreparts of a lion and the rear of a hippopotamus. This was the 'devourer of the dead', the dreaded Ammut. Slowly, awed by the sight in front of them, the men looked further up the giant doors, staring at the very top were a few sentences in hieroglyphs could be clearly seen. As they saw them, each man gave a little start of surprise, before staring at them in amazement. Even Hyde, normally more of a 'crush-kill-destroy' person found himself compelled to stand and stare. Skinner swallowed a few times and turned to Nemo, his voice a mere whisper.

"Can anyone else suddenly read Ancient Egyptian?" He softly asked, a slight tremble in his voice.

"We thought only Henry and I could." Hyde rumbled. Nemo carried on looking at the words.

"I too, can understand these lines." He said. Taking a deep breath he slowly read aloud;

**"Enter, traveler, if you dare,**

**The great Lord Anubis's lair,**

**But if you come for greedy dreams,**

**You will only find Soulful screams.**

**So enter, only if your heart be true,**

**Or the curse of the Well will be laid on you."**

There was a long silence as the words spoken by the Indian slowly echoed away, before Nemo boldly stepped forward and pushed on the stone door, making it open with an almightily creak and groan. He looked over his shoulder at the immobile Skinner and Hyde.

"Come my friends. We need have no fear from age old curses and warnings. Such magic could not hurt us after all this time. Plus we are only here to save our friend." Nemo said. Hyde gave a bellow of laughter and moved after him. Skinner looked at the stern faced Egyptian God's one last time then plunged in after them. It was only afterwards that the worrying thought came to him -

- If they had no need to fear age old curses because they would be harmless, their magic's gone, they how come they had all been able to understand the warning in the first place?

~~~ 

Back outside under the hot sun the two fighters were still locked in combat, which seemed to have no end in sight. Smith pulled away from Mina, and the two circled each other, waiting for a chance to strike. Smith gave Mina a lazy smile and ran one of his fingers along the blade of his arm gauntlet, the steel cutting deep enough in his flesh to draw blood. Casually he flicked his finger forward, a single drop escaping the wound before it healed.

The droplet of blood flew through the air, landing on the sand. As it went the blood changed color and texture, turning from a deep, rich red to the powdery gray dust Mina had examined long ago aboard the _Nautilus_. 

"How do you expect to beat me She-Vamp?" Smith taunted. "You may be free of the groping fingers of age, but you can still die." He gave a throaty chuckle as Mina glared at him, her rage growing when he called her a 'She-Vamp', one of the most insulting titles for female Vampire's.

"You can die as well." She hissed, her daggers glinting in the light.

"You forget. I'm already dead." Smith snapped back at her. The two Immortals ran at each other again, each side stepping at the last moment, blade clashing harmlessly against blade. They circled each other one more time before moving forward, locking their weapons tightly together.

But Mina was not used to the blistering heat like Smith was. Slowly the sun beat down on her slowing her movements, though at the moment, it was impossible to tell.

TBC...

God's mentioned; 1) The Jackal headed Anubis; God of the dead. 2) The Ibis - a sacred bird - headed Thoth; God of writing and knowledge. 3) [Okay, not really a God.] Ammut, who would eat the hearts of Egyptians that were laden with sin.

Please, please, read and review! :) Tell me what you thought of this part! 

~Sethoz


	19. Race Against Time

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. Whoa, so many lovely reviews for the last part, thank you all so much! =) Glad people are still sticking with this. I don't like this part, esp the fight scenes so please let me know what you think! And now, the shout outs;

**Clez:- **Cruel ending? Humm... yeah, I guess I agree with you - btw, just wait till you read the end of this part ;) - so, does that mean a I get a cookie? Lol, glad you liked Skinner's line, been waiting 18 parts to make him say that.

**angelic katty:- **Yeah, Skinner's 'Trigger happy' line does seem to be popular. I'm glad you liked it. 

**Capt.Cow:- **Of course, I would end a part of a cliffhanger, what do you take me for? ;)

**Silent Bob:- **(All right if I just call you Silent Bob? Or do you prefer the numbers at the end of your name?) Yay Mina! ;) Egypt's one of my many obsessions (LXG is another... can you tell?). Lol, everyone likes that Skinner line for some reason!

**Angharad:-** Skinner's cool isn't he. =)

**Steffi:- ***Is slowly edging away from Ammut* Ahh... when you threaten to feed my sin ridden soul to her, you don't really mean it do you? *laughs nervously* You mean, you read the whole thing in one sitting? Wow... that's... wow. *looks behind Steffi at all the fangirls and blinks* Glad you are enjoying this.

**Funyun:- **... Normal Tom? Well... Evil-servant-Tom hasn't done anything yet so... *gives an evil laugh*

**Silversnow:- **You spent 2 hours reading something **I **wrote? I can't decide to be flattered you bothered to read it or worried you wasted your time reading it. Humm... hunger strike... or whine a little... you can whine, 'cuz I want you to up-date your own story and you can't if you are doing a hunger strike.

**Freedom:- A**h, Freedom, where would I be without your threats about _not _sticking dear Tommy down a Well... *laughs* Just wait and see, just wait and see... *wards off the Evil Eye*

**LotRseer3350:- ***taps foot* I know, you have not up-dated in ages! Ages I tell ya! Yep, everyone likes the Skinner line. 

**Graymoon74:- **umm... well, I hadn't planned to stop writing, so please, please don't carry out your threat about kicking me. Hate Smith... yeah, he's a bugger. As for Mina's battle with him... well, read on to find out ;)

Whoa, that was a lot of blabbing wasn't it! Now on with...

**The Bodyguard.**

~~~

Part Nineteen:- Race Against Time

~~~ 

The great cavern that housed the Well of Souls had a single entrance. From that entrance there was a thin ledge of rock to walk on, gaping blackness on either side. The narrow ledge led to the Well, a large section of ground around it creating a comfortable platform to stand on. As Big and Sawyer entered the cavern through the stone arched entrance they could see four flaming torches, one placed at each corner of the platform. The two walked along the narrow ridge at a rapid past, neither looking down at the never ending abyss below them. 

Big was in the lead walking confidently towards the well. Surrounding it were four figures robed in a rich blood red color. The leader turned a hooded face towards Mr. Big.

"Mr. Big. Sir. We received your message and have prepared for the ritual... is this the sacrifice?" The leader asked. Big nodded and the robed man stepped forward, staring hard at Tom Sawyer from under his hood. The man pulled his hood down after a few moments and crossed his arms. The human face that was now uncovered reveled that the man was European in origin, a thin beard clinging to his chin. The other three robed men followed suit, four pairs of brown eyes staring intently at both Big and Tom. 

The leader moved closer to Tom and slowly lifted Tom's face with the palm of his hands. Spy and robed man looked at each other, neither one showing what they felt. Suddenly the man pulled his hand away and slapped Tom, hard, across the face. Tom's head snapped to the side then slowly returned to it's original place.

Apart from a small trickle of drool leaving Tom's mouth there was no facial reaction. 

"He seems ready." The man said, turning away. Mr. Big took the bag Tom was holding and opened it, pulling out the objects from inside.

"Sawyer, wipe your face. We must start the ritual, even without Smith." Mr. Big commanded.

~~~ 

The League moved through the darkened corridors of the maze at an agonizingly slow pace. Nemo had found a torch near the entrance was was using that to lead the way, his men following him, Hyde after them and Skinner bringing up the rear. Yet again, Skinner mentally cursed himself for staying to stare at those grand stone doors for so long, thereby letting Hyde move in front of him. The giant almost completely blocked off the flickering light of the fire Nemo was carrying, meaning Skinner had to use all his skill not to wall into walls or trip over loose rocks. 

Nemo reached a crossroads, three tunnels, all going in different directions. Each was the same to the last, each pitch black with no sound or movement. 

"This would be a lot easier with Mina." Skinner muttered from his position as last. Nemo didn't bother to turn to look back at the invisible man.

"That is probably why Smith wanted to fight her and just her. I have no doubt that she will join us as soon as she can." He said calmly. Skinner moved slightly but didn't say what was in his mind.

_//But we don't even know how to beat this Smith. What is Mina going to do? She can't bite him because he has ash for blood or something strange like that... is she going to glare at him until he dies?\\_

Outside the two immortals were still locked in battle, the light from the harsh sun beating down, hitting the moving blades and being reflected all around the sandy arena that the two found themselves fighting in. 

Mina growled and lunged in for a strike, her silver dagger flashing as it moved at a supernatural speed, aimed at Smith's heart. At the last moment Smith's arm came up and blocked the blade, causing Mina to stumbled slightly to the side. Smith instantly took his chance and sidestepped, forcing Mina to move as well. 

Slowly, relentlessly Smith pushed Mina backwards, turning her slightly with the soul aim of placing her in such a position so that she would have the sun in her eyes. Inwardly he gave a cry of success as Mina found herself staring directly at the sun, the bright orb blocking her vision and causing her view to go blurry. Mina blinked rapidly, trying to see clearly and at this moment Smith pouched. He leapt forward, his arm gauntlets reaching towards Mina, the wicked curved weapons flying towards the temporally blinded Vampire.

In the end it was this very weakness that saved Mina from being decapitated by Smith's weapons as he flew towards her, his arm already swinging round in a perfect arc, ready to take her head off. The lack of vision meant that Mina took a step backwards and half turned, to remove her self from the direct line of the sun. Smith's attack went harmlessly past her, thought it was so close that she could feel the air in front of her move by Smith's actions. Smith growled in anger and lunged at her again, shouting a curse in Ancient Egyptian as he did so. 

Mina jumped. Calling her bats to her she flung her body backwards, using her enhanced abilities to fly backwards and still mange to land softly on her feet, like a cat. As she stood up, her curly hair bounding unchecked around her face, her eyes still a clear blue she stumbled slightly, feeling for the first time, the effects of the hot Egyptian sun. 

Smith stared at her, his anger now fully in control. Abandoning all reason he charged at her recklessly. Mina moved forward to greet him, her own dagger raised to defend herself. The two clashed against each other, the force of the impact making Mina spin in a graceful circle, her fangs bared and ready. 

As she rushed forward, Smith turned to face her, moving a tiny bit more slowly that he had before. Mina gripped her right dagger and struck out at Smith. Blade connected to flesh and the dagger sank into Smith's left hip as if it was made of butter. The Egyptian laughed and grabbed Mina's hand, tightening his own around her small pale hand which was still holding her dagger. Slowly Smith twisted Mina's hand and at the same time, twisting the dagger still embedded in his side. Mina's eyes widened as she stared at his cruel face, noticing the absolute lack of pain visible on it. With a snarl she ripped her hand free, forced to leave her weapon in Smith's flesh. 

The two stared at each other, Mina panting by now, before the fight began again, Mina's dagger just left in Smith's side as if the man didn't even know or care it was there.

~~~ 

Something had gone horribly wrong. Skinner was sure of it. Skinner was more than sure of it and for a very good reason. 

Skinner was lost. Lost and alone. Somehow he had taken a wrong turn somewhere and hadn't noticed that he was no longer following Hyde's monstrous bulk and was instead wandering the dark passages of the maze on his own. The only reason he hadn't said anything or called out when he found himself without light is that he just thought Hyde had moved slightly and was now completely blocking the light from reaching him. It wasn't until Skinner had walked into a wall and then found he was in a dead end that he realized somewhere along the way he had become separated from the rest.

The gentleman thief had tried to retrace his steps but in the dark he had no way of knowing where the mistake had occurred. So now Skinner just wandered the passages aimlessly, trusting to Lady Luck to help him - or, if that failed, then he was really hoping someone would notice he was missing and go looking for him. Maybe they would set Mina on his scent. Skinner tried to ignore the fact that Mina was probably still fighting Smith and that the League had to focus first on finding Tom as he was in greater danger. 

Rodeny Skinner blinked as light suddenly exploded onto his vision making him squint. A single flaming touch hung from a side bracket, lighting up a door. He grabbed the torch and slowly pushed the door open, risking a peek inside. It was some kind of living quarters with a bed and a few chairs, though nobody seemed to be in. Skinner gently pulled the door shut again and moved on, taking the light with him.

The rest of the League - the rapidly diminishing League - hadn't actually noticed Skinner's vanishing act. The pressed on ahead as fast as they could, each wanting to get this over and done with. Nemo moved through the stone passages with more confidence than he had at the start, trusting to some inner sense to tell him which way to go. His men followed him blindly, trusting him. Mr. Hyde just followed, still angry that Mina would be the one to defeat Smith. Dr. Jekyll's alter-ego still hadn't forgotten his first encounter with the Egyptian nor the fact that he still hadn't had a chance to even the score. 

Though they didn't know it, Nemo, his men and Mr. Hyde were getting closer and closer to the center of the maze, where their prize awaited them.

~~~ 

The first red robed man picked up the small bottle of scented water he had brought with him and carefully pulled the stopper out of it. He moved towards Tom, who was kneeing in front of the Well, his arms hanging loosely by his side. 

"It is time Sawyer." Mr. Big said as the robed man reached Tom. Slowly, his expression one of a dazed and confused person, the American removed his holsters and the twin Colt pistols, his weapons clanging loudly on the ground as he dropped them in a casual manner. He lifted his head, closing his eyes as the faintly scented water was poured over his upturned face. 

"I accept this water to cleanse my face in the hope it will cleanse my soul in preparation of my reward." Tom said in a dull monotone, the second the water had stopped.

"Where is the Dagger?" The robed man asked. "And where is Smith?"

"Smith... is busy with some unforeseen business. He has the Dagger with him, but the Dagger of the Well is not needed for this next part." Mr. Big said. The other man stared at his Boss, an unreadable expression on his face before letting his eyes dart to where Tom still knelt.

"He had friends, doesn't he." The man said quietly, almost to himself. Then he seemed to snap out of whatever he had been in and looked back at Mr. Big. 

"You're right of course Boss. The first blood letting doesn't need the Dagger - but we can go no further than the blood letting without it." He answered. Mr. Big did not reply but simply looked at him. The man pulled out a thin, razor sharp blade and bent down, clasping Tom's limp hand and lifting it up. 

"With this blood, I join you both, to allow the transfer to be accepted." The man said softly, running the tip of the weapon along the palm of Tom's hand. It bit into his skin greedily, his blood eagerly filling his palm. The man turned to Mr. Big, who had knelt down by now and was holding out his own palm. Quickly he ran the razor weapon along the other hand, digging deep enough to draw blood. 

Taking both Mr. Big and Tom Sawyer's blooded hands he pressed them together, letting the blood mingle. As he did so a breeze seemed to suddenly spring up out of nowhere, staring from the center of the platform and blowing all the way to the edge - when it suddenly vanished, the wind dying as if it had never even been there.

A few seconds later, Captain Nemo emerged from under the arch, the torch he was holding spluttering away into nothingness. His dark eyes lit up as he was the well lit platform in front of him and the people kneeling on it. Mr. Big sprang to his feet, dragging Tom with him. The Colonel took a few steps backwards, nearer to the well, Tom being pulling backwards as well. Mr. Big fixed glaring eyes, full of rage, on Nemo as the Indian began to run nimbly along the narrow path, his men just as light on their feet running right behind him. Hyde paused at the start of the path, his beady black eyes looking on either side of the path before giving a bellow of anger and moving along after the rest.

~~~ 

Mina was differently getting tired by now. The prolonged exposure to the unrelenting Egyptian sun was taking it's toil on her, making her move more sluggish and react more slowly. Smith seemed to sense this and pressed forward, showing no sighs of being bothered by either the sun or the weapon that had remained lodged in his side for over ten minutes.

The two still fiercely fought, each managing to land a wound on the other every now and then, the wound then healing at once. Yet again though, Smith now had Mina at an disadvantage as he still had both his original weapons with the Dagger of the Well safely tucked away in his belt, close to where Mina's first dagger had stuck. Her second dagger was still in her hands but it was hard to defend herself against Smith's double attack when all she had was a dagger. 

More and more, Mina found herself using all her energy to just dodge Smith's attacks, unable to get close enough to him to use her nails or her fangs. Even if she could by some lucky chance get close enough to sink her teeth into Smith, all she would find would be ash - something she couldn't drain. The Vampire gave a jerky jump to the side, one of Smith's blades cutting into her arm as she jumped, her body responding too slow to fully escape the attack. She risked a glance to the ground, looking at Smith's shadow, trying to work out what would happen if she snapped Smith's fleshy neck. 

_//Not a lot.\\_ Mina soon worked out. She would have to completely remove the head to stop Smith from simply snapping the bone back together and even if she could remove the head there was no way to be sure it would stop him. She turned back to look at him, realizing too late that she had just made a possible fatal error in allowing herself to be distracted while Smith was standing so close to her.

And at that moment Smith struck. He punched forward, his two arms, reaching out towards her. Before Mina could do anything more than give a small gasp, the tips of his curved blades had reached both of her sides. They entered her body, passing all the way through her. Smith gave a roar of glee and pushed her backwards, Mina's body giving tiny spasms, unable to heal properly while the weapons were still stuck through her, a tiny trickle of her blood running down one of the blades. Her back connected hard with a stone pillar, Smith pushing against it with all his might. With a cry of pain the back of Mina's head hit the stone of the pillar, at such a force it would have knocked out a mortal. To her horror Mina realized she was completely trapped, pinned between the pillar and Smith like a butterfly on a pin. 

Something Smith knew only to well.

~~~ 

As Mr. Hyde's feet touched the platform, the rage in the eyes of Mr. Big vanished, to be replaced by a triumphant glint. The whole of the League were on the platform, Nemo mere inches away from Tom and their enemy, when Mr. Big yelled;

"STOP!" Though they tried to fight it, Nemo, his men and Hyde all felt their legs freeze, stopping them where they stood. Mr. Big let go of Tom's collar, the young man falling bonelessly to the ground, his hand still bleeding profusely. With a look of contempt at the captive League and at Tom, Mr. Big grabbed two bandages from his bag, dropping one to float down on Tom, and using the other to stop his own hand bleeding.

"Clean yourself up Sawyer." He spat. Tom silently reached out for the bandage and began to stem the bleeding. Mr. Big walked right up to Hyde, a gloating look on his face.

"All of you... walk to that corner and sit down." Mr. Big ordered, pointing at the left corner nearest to the stone path. Even though Nemo fought every step of the way to regain control of his legs he found his body was marching to the pointed spot, as were the bodies of his men and Mr. Hyde. They all sat down and Big stared at the, the gloating smile never leaving his lips.

"Now, you must be wondering how I can do this." He said. Behind him, Tom stood up, his hand now clean. 

"It is really very simple. When the ritual starts a spell is activated that prevents people from interfering with it. Anyone who enters the sphere of the spell after it has been cast, is placed under the control of me... where is the sneak thief?" Mr. Big said, gazing round the platform that was absent of any floating coat. He rolled his eyes in frustration.

"He must still be out in the maze Boss." One of the robed men said. Mr. Big nodded and turned to Tom.

"Sawyer, I want you to hunt the pathetic man down. He won't dare to kill you - but we need him here, the last thing I want if for him to try and disrupt the more... delicate part of the ritual. I want him dead or alive, just bring him here." He said. A sly smile came to Tom's face and he nodded, once. Big bent down and picked up Tom's rifle, throwing it to the American. 

Tom caught it in one hand and spun it, letting his trigger finger rest gently on the trigger. He moved past the other members of the League, not even sparing them a second glance. 

"Sawyer... take one of my men with you." Big added. Tom nodded and one of the robed men broke off from the others and moved after Tom. Spy and minion now ran along the stone path and under the Arch, vanishing into the maze.

"Skinner? Oh, Skinner, where are you?" Tom called out in a cheerful tone, a manic little giggle escaping from his mouth. 

"Skinner... come out, come out where ever you are..." He said in a sing song voice, scanning the area ahead of him. He hummed a little tune as he carried on his hunt for Skinner, the other man a few paces behind him.

TBC...

Thank you for reading this part, please leave a review! Till part 20.

~Sethoz


	20. The Ties That Bind Us

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. Okay, clearly I was wrong about the last part being bad, as everyone else seemed to like it. So, here's the next part, which has quite a nasty cliffhanger *grins* But first, the Shout outs;

**Clez:- **Maniacal genius eh? Glad you liked it and Tom was supposed to creep everyone out! That's the point of his little giggle. Now, now, don't shake the American *Removes Tom from your grasp* Why don't you just read this part and see what he does. Oh and what happens to Mina ;)

**Angharad:- Meanly** in a good way? Ah, my work here is done... *Scampers off*

**Funyun:- **Crazy, Deranged, Maniacal Tom? Yeah, that sounds about right.

**Crystal Nox:- **To you, everything Skinner does is cute ;) You know after I read your review I couldn't get the image of Tom saying; Here's.... Tommy!" out of my head. *Pouts* But he doesn't say that in this, don't worry. And killing Skinner? Would I kill him?

**Capt.Cow:- **You really should expect cliffhangers from me by now. ;)

**Leigh S. Durron:-** No Leigh, it wasn't a nice place to leave you at all. Some people might say that where I end it in this part isn't a nice place to leave it either. Meh, what do they know =)

**Silent Bob 546:- **Yeah Skinner has the best lines... what's wrong with Tom's eyes? There a lovely green... *goes off into her own little world* What? Yes, what? ;) Anyway, glad you like it!

**LotRseer3350:- **Oh Seer, Seer, Tom as a homicidal maniac, that would be amazing. *tries to ignore the chapter below her* I wanna read part three of your LXG story!! *pouts* Come on, write, write! 

**Niani:- **Yeah, Skinner pretty much sums it up. To find out what happens... read this chapter!

**Steffi-333:- ***Tries to hide behind Anubis* Wait... why am I scared? I'm the writer! *clicks fingers and 'Ammut repellent' appears* Yeah, multiple cliffys all round. I love Tom too! (Bet you couldn't have guessed that one.)

**Freedomfighter82:- **Chill Freedom, just chillllllllll. *Wards off evil eye again* Will I kill Tom? Will I make him do something he will regret later? Possibly. *smiles angelically* Thanks for the lovely review!

**Graymoon74:- **Glad you enjoyed it and wow, that's a long review you left me! Well, of course Clez and I have to put them under strain! It makes good Angst! Yeah, I cringed when I came up with the blood thing but I had to start that spell somehow... and I don't think Skinner's going to be fooled by Sawyer somehow ;) Here's the next part and look out! Behind you! A well!

Anyhow, moving on, here is the next part of...

**The Bodyguard.**

~~~

Part Twenty:- The Ties That Bind Us

~~~ 

Tom moved swiftly through the dimly lit paths of the maze, the robed man behind him carrying a lit torch. The flickering light of the fire enabled him to see a few feet ahead of him, his Winchester rifle armed and ready.

"Skinner? Skinner, where are you? I just wanna talk..." Tom called out, another shrill little manic giggle escaping his mouth. He covered his mouth with his hand to stop the laughter his eyes darting around the corridor he was in, searching for any sign of Rodeny Skinner. 

"I'll find you, you know..." Tom whispered, letting his hand drop back to his side as he began to creep, hugging the right hand wall as he did so. Deep inside he felt something stirring, a half formed thought coming to the front of his mind.

_//This is wrong...\\_

Tom Sawyer shook his head, forcing the unwanted thought deep down and squashing the feelings he could feel. It was almost as if something inside of him was trying to come free, something or _someone_ - which was nonsense, there was only him in his body. The feeling faded from him and he focused back on the hunt for Skinner, already forgetting the odd longing in his heart. 

Agent Sawyer was a hunter - and he always got his pray.

~~~ 

Her body was twitching, completely out of her control as Mina bit back a cry of pain. Smith was twisted the blades lodged inside her body, enjoying the anguish he could see on the She-Vamp's face. Mina gasped, panting slightly, her arms moving wildly around. The Egyptian paused in what he was doing, and for a second seemed to be thinking about pulling the blades out of her sides. He lent forward, leaning closer to Mina's face, and at the same time, placing all of his weight on the blades, digging them deeper into the injured Vampire's flesh. 

"Hello Mina..." Smith said. Only it wasn't Smith's voice or Smith's face looking at her. Instead the youthful image of Tom was standing in front of her, his long arms lazily resting against her body, his hands gripping the curved blades. The American Agent smiled at her and moved his mouth closer, until it was right next to her ear.

"You know you want to bite me..." Tom whispered. "You must have thought about, every time I was injured and all you could hear was my young heart beating rapidly, like a drum." Tom blew gently on her ear, causing Mina to give a slight shudder and to swallow, trying to ignore the vampire in her that stirred, begging for the young blood that must be under his skin... even though she couldn't smell any. Even though she knew he wasn't really Tom.

"Give in to your demons She-Vamp... bite me and let the memory stay with you forever..." Tom whispered, slowly drawing his head back from her ear and giving her a mocking smile. Mina's eyes narrowed as she stared at him, before closing her eyes.

"Stop it." She said in her low husky tone. "I know you are not Agent Sawyer - do you think me a fool Smith? I know all about your ability to cast a false image of someone." 'Tom' shrugged his shoulders, a resigned expression on his face. Then the features melted away and Smith was looking at her again.

"It was worth a try. To rub salt in your wounds, my dear little defeated lady, would have been fun... for you to think in your last few moments of your life that you really had bitten your precious little Yank." Smith said with a laugh, giving one of the blade a vicious twist, turning it at almost ninety degrees. Mina screamed, unable to stop the sound.

"Mina... Mina, help me!" Smith said, making his voice sound like Tom's own. A few tears came to Mina's eyes as Smith laughed. "No... please... no..." Smith begged, his voice still perfectly like Tom's. Mina shook her head, trying to blank out the voice.

_//It's not him... It's just a trick...\\_

She had dropped her silver dagger when Smith had first stabbed her, leaving her weapon-less. Mina glanced about wildly, as if hoping that some miracle would happen, giving her a weapon. Her eyes fell on the dagger that was still sticking out of Smith's side. The Egyptian pushed upwards, making Mina's gasp, her hand reaching out blindly for her dagger, her eyes unable to focus on it. 

Mina's groping fingers touched the cool handle and she pulled, feeling it slip away from Smith. She tightened her grip on the weapon, ignoring the nagging feeling that... _something _was wrong with her weapon. With a little yell she slashed down at Smith, cutting him along his arm. To her amazement Smith gave a scream of pain and backed away, letting her go. She dropped to the ground, her wounds now able to heal, still holding her dagger in her hand - only it wasn't her dagger. 

The dagger in her hand had a curved blade and some form of writing on it. It was smaller than her own and more ornate. Mina's head snapped towards Smith who had staggered backwards, pressing one of his hands over the cut she had inflicted... It hadn't healed...

"You're own dagger can hurt you..." She breathed, realization dawning on her. She must be holding the Dagger of the Well, it was the only answer.

"Only the dead can use that weapon." Smith hissed, still shocked at this new sensation in his arm. The last time he had felt pain... he had still been alive. Mina rose gracefully to her feet, her strength flowing back into her, her energy returning at this new found hope. With a hiss Mina leapt forward, using her skill to fly over Smith, so she was facing his back.

"It's a good thing I'm not alive then..." Mina snarled before plunging the dagger in between two of Smith's ribs. The dagger slid inside without a sound. 

Smith made a few chocking and gagging sounds, his mouth open, his face - if Mina could see it - had an expression of the utmost surprise. Mina pulled her hand back, removing the dagger from Smith's back. He dropped to the ground without any other sound, hitting it with a dull thud. Mina collapsed at the same time, panting hard, on all fours. She took a few deep breaths then reached over to Smith's dead form.

She pulled out her own dagger, slipping it away. For a second she toyed with the idea of throwing the Dagger away but instead, she slipped it into her coat - she never knew, it might hold the key to saving Agent Tom. As Mina turned to leave a wind sprang up, blowing past her. She looked down at Smith, dreading what she might see. The flesh was slowly decaying away, then turning into dust. Smith was returning to the sand. Mina turned her body wholly and ran towards the maze, suddenly worried. Now that Smith was dead, who knew what would happen? She stumbled into the entrance - still feeling weak after her recent battle, the grand doors still open, not even looking at the carved figures of the writing above them as she moved past. Using her Vampiric senses to track the League, she plunged into the maze, leaving the still form of Smith behind her.

~~~ 

Tom was getting closer to Skinner by now. He could feel it, somehow he just knew that the other man was almost within his grasp. Humming a few bars of 'You Are my Sunshine' under his breath, Tom sidestepped a corner, his weapon aimed into the darkness. Nothing moved, there was no sound or light... yet Tom was more sure than ever that Skinner was near. He passed a wooden door, giving it only a quick glance as he did so. Something about the door though, made him stop and look again.

"Bring that torch closer." Tom said, peering at the wood. The man did as he asked and Tom smiled as he looked at the lock. It had been forced. Tom gently rested his palm on the wood and pushed, the door opening soundlessly. The room inside was well lit by a few torches and lying on the floor, just inside the door was a black coat. Tom dropped to the ground and picked up the coat, rising to his feet slowly and staring round the room, his whole body alert.

"I know you're here Skinner..." Tom called out, passing the coat to the man behind him. He took a few steps into the room, his boots crunching on the sand under his feet. Without looking at the robed figure, Tom waved his hand, pointing at the door. The other man understood the message and stepped inside, pushing the door shut behind him, then standing in front of it.

"No way out 'mate'." Tom said, trying to put on a cockney accent, as he scanned the room, his rifle held lightly in his hands. A faint sound could be heard to his right and he spun, peering down the sight of his gun. After a few seconds he lowered the gun again and continued his search of the room. The sound of footsteps behind Tom made him tense, not enough for anyone to notice but enough for Tom to act. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the robed man had not left the door. Which meant only one thing. 

With a snarl Tom spun, using the butt end of his rifle as a bat. It collided with something invisible, hitting it was a loud slap. With one rapid movement, Tom rammed his gun into Skinner's gut.

"Nighty Night." He said with a smirk, hearing Skinner's body fall to the ground. Tom turned to the robed figure and took Skinner's coat from him before turning back and dropping it on top of Skinner. Instantly the crumpled form of the man could be seen and Tom bent down, struggling to place Skinner's arms into the coat sleeves, while singing lightly under his breath.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy..."

~~~ 

The scent Mina was following was getting fresher and stronger, which meant that she was getting closer. She had passed a turn off a few meters back, where she was sure she could smell Tom Sawyer's scent but had, after sniffing the air hard, dismissed it. Why would he be going away from the maze? She couldn't even be sure if it was Tom, there had been a second scent, mingling with the familiar scent of her friend which was enough to make her doubt. So she had passed the scent by and concentrated on Nemo's scent, one she could follow.

Ahead she could make out an opening, a faint light emitting from it. Slowing down, Mina reached the stone archway and carefully peered around the side. The room in front of her was huge - and there, in the center was a lit area, where Mr. Big was standing. He was talking to some men in red robes, but Mina's attention was taken up by the slumped forms of the rest of the League, sans Skinner, a fact that passed Mina by. One of the robed men bent his head towards Mr. Big and whispered something in his ear. The English man turned his face towards the entrance.

"Mrs. Harker... I can see you." Mr. Big called out in a lazy tone. Mina stepped boldly out from the shadows, moving a few meters down the narrow path. Then she paused, staring at Big.

"Smith is dead." She said at last, a smile on her face.

"What?" Mr. Big gasped in shock. Mina moved closer, her fury building. If she had been her normal cool and calm self she might have noticed that Mr. Big did not smell of fear, as he should have done when faced with a very angry Vampire who had just killed someone who was supposed to be un-killable. If she had been more balanced she would have been more careful, suspecting some new trick. Instead, Mina was so taken up by the fact that she had defeated Smith that she didn't notice the odd reaction by Mr. Big.

"If what you say is true... come and get me before I kill your friends." Mr. Big said, dashing towards the slumped form of Dr. Jekyll - his potion must have worn off, Mina realized. She almost flew down the path, her form becoming blurry. With a grow she entered the platform.

"Stop..." Mr. Big said softly and Mina did so, her hands still extended, her fangs bared. "Sit down with the rest." Big commanded, smiling as Mina was compelled to do so. 

"Did you take the Dagger of the Well from Smith?" Mr. Big asked hopefully, his smile growing as Mina gave a jerky nod.

"Give it to me." He hissed, pulling out a handkerchief and wrapping the Dagger in it. "Thank you Mrs. Harker. Thank you for bringing just what I wanted. The only thing I needed to complete the ritual. Just think, if you had left it in the sand... your little friend may have lived." Mr. Big taunted.

~~~ 

When Skinner woke up the first thing he was aware of was rough rope digging into his wrists. Other facts presented themselves, one after the other. His arms were behind his back. He was wearing his duster again. He had one hell of a headache. He could see Tom Sawyer standing in front of him, a cocky smile on his face. He came to the conclusion that Tom could be an annoying little git when he had been brain washed. All this passed through Skinner's mind like lightning. Somehow Tom seemed to sense that Skinner had woken up. The American moved his head and clicked his fingers, causing the other figure in the room - who Skinner had forgotten about - moved behind the thief and gripped him roughly by the arms, forcing him to his feet.

"Sawyer, come on, snap out of this. It me, it's Skinner, your mate." Skinner pleaded. Tom stared at where he thought Skinner's face was, confusion in his green eyes.

"What are you talking about. We're not 'mates' or friends. I only met you a day or two ago." Tom snapped. "Let's go." He added to the other man. The robed figure pushed Skinner forward and he began to struggle at once.

"No, Sawyer, listen to me! We are friends, we've known each other for months! Don't you remember?" Skinner said, trying to get through to his friend. 

"Ignore him Agent Sawyer." The second man said. Tom raised the barrel of his Winchester, pointing it in the direction of both of the other men in the room.

"You, shut up." Tom spat. "You, Skinner, what are you trying to do here? I've worked for my Master for years, I grew up working for him."

"No, no, you didn't! Think Sawyer, think!" Skinner shouted. Tom blinked, the gun still held steady, pointed right at Skinner's heart. Skinner fished around in his mind, desperate to think of something to crack the fake memories Tom seemed to have.

"You're Agent Sawyer right?" He said suddenly. Tom frowned and nodded. "How?" Skinner asked. "How can you be an Agent if you grew up working for Mr. Big? What are you an Agent of?" 

"I..." Tom took a step back, his eye's now wide with confusion, his whole body shaking. A dull presser was building up in the back of his head while he tried to think. 

_//What **am **I an Agent of...?\\ _ The presser began to increase in his head. 

"Come on Sawyer! Let's just get back to Mr. Big, I'm sure he will be able to explain everything. This... thing is just trying to trick you." The man shouted.

"Tom! Tom, don't listen to him, I want to help you." Skinner yelled, trying to be heard above the other man.

"Shut up! Both of you, just shut up!" Tom screamed. He was panting hard now, the tip of the barrel of his Winchester lowering slightly. Tom stared at the two men in the room, his gaze darted to one then to the other. One had to go, Tom had to get rid of one of them, he had to make the pain in his head stop. He had to do something...

"Tom..." Skinner whispered. Tom snapped his rifle back up, took aim and without allowing himself to think about it, pulled the trigger. As the single bullet hit it's intended mark there was a loud agonized death scream. At the same time a second scream echoed round the room, the two voice's mingling together until it was impossible to tell them apart.

TBC...

There you have it, we are now two thirds of the way through this story and it's all moving towards the climax! So, please, please leave a review, you amazing people you!

~Sethoz


	21. Smoke and Mirrors

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. I'm so sorry for taking so long to up-date this, no excuse. Just been bad... okay, also a slight touch of writers block. This is also quite a bit of italic in this part. Anyway, here are the Shout outs;

**angelic katty:-** Skinner's conclusion was great wasn't it. Glad you like the mix, hope you enjoy this part.

**Melanie:- **Cruel? Me? *laughs* Not me, I'm not a cruel sort of person... maybe I am cruel, but just a little.

**Silversnow:- **Wait till you see what Mr. Big does in the next few chapters :D And you need wait no longer, the victim of the bullet is reveled!

**Funyun:- **...Tom... shot... himself? Darn, that's such a good idea, wish I thought of it!! Poor Tom, to have MPD... *grins* Don't worry, I'm nice to him in this part... honest... 

**Steffi-333:- ***Is cowering from the Tom fangirls* Eeep... wait... I thought **I** was a Tom fangirl? Huh... Don't worry, Tom might snap out of it... then again. *evil smile* Guess you'll have to read to find out.

**Clez:- **Okay, you had your fun, your vengeance, so here's mine. (Just so you know, I was going to leave this part somewhere else, but then I read the last part of BTLOLM and deiced to be evil.) Glad you liked it and all, up-date your own stuff! Now(-ish)!

**Niani:- **Tempting thought to kill Skinner, you'll have to read to see if I really do. Glad you found Tom's singing creepy.

**Crystal Nox:- **:P I just did do it to you. I'm more than likely going to do it to you again as well... *backs away from the large stick* Now, just calm down, I'm sure I didn't do what you thought I did... or did I? I dunno, you didn't say what you thought.

**Graymoon74:- **I'm killing you? Eep! Glad you liked the thing with Smith and Mina, that Dagger still has quite a big part to play. *foreshadowy* yes, pay close attention to the Dagger... Tom violent? I... don't know what you mean... *starts to hum 'You are my Sunshine' under her breath*

**LotRseer3350:- **Well, that was part twenty of Bodyguard. Glad you liked it ;) Might be returning Tom to normal but I wouldn't bank on him not entering the cave where Big is... after all, if Mina fell for it... And come on, you never found 'You are my Sunshine' a creepy song?

**Hoshii-chan:-** Must stop writing evil cliffhangers... on second thought, no I don't wanna!

**ScifiRogue:- **You adore it? Aww.... *is blushing* I'm still amazed people don't think it's rubbish. The Egyptian mythology comes from books, internet, father and the fact I'm obsessed by Egypt. 

**Silent Bob 546:- **hehehehe, yeah, Tom should listen to the drunk... wait, Skinner hasn't had a drink for chapters has he?? Nooo! Yes, Tom is indeed that insane to sing that song. :)

And now...

**The Bodyguard.**

~~~ 

Part Twenty-One:- Smoke and Mirrors 

~~~ 

Skinner didn't know what shocked him the most. The scream of the other man as he fell to the ground, clutching as his bloody chest, trying in vain to stem the bleeding even as he died. Or the fact that Tom hadn't killed him.

_//Speaking of Tom...\\ _Skinner spun on his heel, struggling to get loose of the ropes binding his hands behind his back. He looked over at Tom and froze, his invisible mouth dropping open in shock. Tom was on the ground, his hands clutching at his head as he squirmed on the floor, screaming hard. 

"Sawyer! Sawyer, snap out of it!" Skinner shouted, running towards his fallen friend. He reached him and tried to stop, attempting to put out his hands to help balance. He only remembered a second too late that his hands were still restrained behind his back. With a yelp, Skinner fell forward, crashing into the ground head first. His nose made an awful sound as it smashed into the hard floor and Skinner made a muffled sound of pain. 

His nose felt broken but he had no way of knowing until he could feel with his hands. A few feet away from him Tom was still screaming, his hands clawing at his head.

~~~ 

_Darkness._

_Darkness all around him. Darkness pressing in on him. Darkness that wanted to consume him. Darkness that threatened to destroy everything about him._

_Tom was trapped in the darkness. He stared around him in a blind panic before taking a step forward, his hands reaching out, hoping to connect with something solid so he had some kind of support. Empty air was all he could feel, no matter how far he moved. Tom stopped, hugging his body, suddenly feeling terribly, terribly alone. He didn't want to be alone anymore. A faint whisper of sound seemed to come to his ears and he frowned slightly, straining them to try and make out the soft words, but it was no use. He was still alone._

_"Tom, what are you doing just standing there?" A familiar voice asked him. Huck stepped into his line of vision, his body a light in the dark place. Huckleberry smiled and held out a hand, offering it to Tom._

_"Come on, I'll race you to the river." Huck said with a grin. The darkness around Tom vanished to be replaced by the familiar setting of his childhood. The faint whisper of a voice came towards Tom again and he stepped away from Huck without thinking about it, heading towards the origin of the sound. Huck frowned and caught hold of Tom's arm, pulling him slightly and making him turn back to face the dark haired young man. _

_"Other way Tom." Huck said, a smile on his face. Tom remained frozen in place, confused, uncertain. He didn't know what was happening here - wasn't he standing in a dark room a few moments ago. And wasn't Huck... gone? For a third time the voice tried to say something, the tone more urgent and this time, Tom could make out the words._

_"Sawyer! Sawyer, come on Tom, snap out of it!" The voice was male and one Tom was sure he should recognize - if only Huck wasn't standing their, trying to confuse him. The sudden appearance of both Huck and the lit landscape where there had been nothing before threw him, freezing his thoughts._

_"Tom..." A female voice whispered, a ghostly hand resting on his shoulder. "You know what to do..." And then, Tom did know what to do. Everything came to him in a sudden rush of clarity and he couldn't believe he had forgotten._

_"Come on Tom, let's go!" Huck urged him. Tom turned a cool, calm gaze on him._

_"This isn't going to work anymore - I remember." Tom said. He could feel something pulling at his mind, trying to scatter his thoughts and he held on stubbornly, unwilling to give in._

_No. He **refused **to give in. There was no way Tom was going to put up with this intrusion of his mind for any longer. He was Agent Thomas Sawyer after all._

_"Stop pretending to be Huckleberry Finn, you're not him! Now go away and leave me alone!" Tom yelled, crossing the distance between himself and the person or thing pretending to be his dead friend. With a snarl Tom reached out, grabbing the imposture by the shirt. Huckleberry looked at Tom, before simply fading away._

_Then the darkness returned and Tom knew no more._

_~~~ _

Tom gave a louder scream, holding onto the note for a few seconds, his whole body frozen in place, his back arched up off the floor. Skinner could only watch helplessly as the frozen moment of his friend passed and Tom's body continued to twist in agony, his voice now fading away - his throat worn raw by the screams.

"Tom..." Skinner said softly, staring at his friend, the worry clear, even in that single word. He just wished there was something he could do - but there was nothing.

This was a fight Tom had to win on his own.

~~~

_Mirrors._

_He was in a place of mirrors, which reflected every part of him, every thought and every fear he had ever had. This time however, Tom was ready for this place and he stood there, trying to ignore all the different faces that looked at him. Some he could instantly tell were himself, but some of the other faces were horrific, mutated so badly that it was almost impossible to see anything of himself in the features. Tom shook himself mentally, forcing his thoughts away from the mirrors._

_"Where are you?" Tom called out, knowing that there was someone else in the room. Someone who would try and trick him, he was sure of it. Someone would try and make him do something, to stop fighting and then his body would be hijacked... again._

_"Right here." A low, Scottish voice said from behind him and Tom froze, tears pricking at his eyes._

_//Not him, not him, please, don't make me fight him, not after Huck...\\ His mind chanted even as he turned to face the owner of the voice. Allan stood there, leaning on his old elephant gun, Miltilda, his expression a mixture of amusement and concern._

_"What's wrong Sawyer?" Allan asked. "What's this I hear about you having a fight with Finn?" He added. Tom watched Allan, not knowing what to do, his mind conflicted. He knew that Allan and Huckleberry were dead, that it wasn't really them, but some side effect of the drug he had been given, some safety mechanism to make sure he didn't fight the drugs effects but it was so tempting to just accept the images he was being offered, to let the drug take him over so he could stay in this fantasy, where people he cared about were alive and everything would be okay._

_The concerned look had left the old explores face, an expression of sympathy and understanding on Allan's face instead._

_"Easy lad, easy. I know it's hard but you can do it. All you have to do is let it all go. Just let the anger and the pain melt away and everything will be all right and as it should be. Nothing will ever hurt you again, I promise you lad." Allan told him. Tom wanted so desperately to believe him, to accept what he was being offered. _

_"Just take my hand Sawyer." Allan said, reaching out his own hand. Tom stared into his mentors face, still torn and without even knowing about it, took a small step forward. Allan contained to smile in a reassuring manner as Tom Sawyer took another small step towards him. A faint breeze on his face made Tom paused for a second. The breeze passed over Tom's face again, only this time it seemed to be in the shape of a hand._

_"Tom..." The ghostly whisper of a female's voice came to him and he shook his head rapidly, looking at the out reached hand with longing._

_"... Sorry... I can't." Tom said at last, speaking with great effort. Allan dropped his hand then his head before turning and walking away from the stunned American, his form casting no reflection in the many mirrors. A second later... Allan was gone. _

~~~ 

Tom's body went limp, a gasp of air escaping from his mouth. The hands dropped from where they had been clawing at his head, the screams having long since stopped. Skinner slowly approached Tom's curled up body, his black duster and the ropes tying his arms an indication of where he was standing. 

"Sawyer... Tom, can you hear me?" Skinner asked, before looking over his shoulder at the closed wooden door. He was nervous, twitchy, worried that Mr. Big would get impatient and send someone out after Tom, who would find them before the American could wake up as himself.

Tom turned a tortuous, despairing look at him, the agony reflected clearly in his soft green eyes. He almost seemed to be begging for an end to this misery and pain he was facing as he stared blankly at Skinner. The once clear light had faded from them, to be replaced by a cloudy, dull gaze of the drugged Tom Sawyer that Skinner had faced.

"You can do it Tom. Come on, I know you can do it." The British thief said, kneeling down by Tom's body. For a second there seemed to be something in Tom's eyes that Skinner knew, a sparkle, some sign of defiance, a signal that the spy had understood the thief's words, then the eyes slid shut and Tom's mind was once again thrown back into the fight.

~~~ 

_Trees._

_He was standing in a wooded area, the soft sound of birds singing slowly drifting towards his ears. There was nothing in the woods to threaten him and Tom stared, completely and utterly confused. He spun on his heel searching all the shadows, all the hiding places but there was no-one there. Slowly, time passed in the wood filled glade. Tom was sitting on a fallen log, the moss growing over it making a soft seat when the faint sound of footsteps caught his attention. The dream girl entered the clearing, the relief written plainly on her face._

_"Tom." She said. "You did it." Tom stared at her, recognizing the voice as the same one that had helped him before. The girl smiled and moved closer to him, a seductive look on her face. She reached Tom and lazily placed her arms around him, staring him in the eye._

_"You can rest now." She said. Tom pulled away from her, a frown on his face as she stared down at the dream girl. He remembered her from pervious dreams but something seemed different about her this time._

_"You're not really her." Tom said flatly. The dream girl pulled away from him, a pout on her face._

_"Of course I am..." She said. Tom didn't answer and the girl sighed, backing away from him and twisting a stared of hair in her fingers._

_"You're right. I'm not her. The real girl is... well, she can't reach you." The 'dream girl' said with a cruel smile. Tom turned away from her and began to walk in the opposite direction. He was bored of these games, he just wanted his mind back._

_"What do you want?" The dream girl asked, her whole body shaking in rage. Tom glared at her before shouting his answer._

_"I want to wake up! You're trying to stop me but it won't work anymore!"_

_"Face what is really stopping you then." The fake dream girl snapped, pointing over Tom's head at something behind him. The girl gave a crocked smile the simply vanished. Tom remained frozen in place, staring at the woody area in front of him. A cough from behind him made the America Spy slowly turn around._

_What he saw made his mouth drop open in shock and he froze in his fighting._

Slowly the green eyes fluttered open, Tom's gaze blank and unseeing. His head slowly turned towards Skinner and a smile twitched at his lips - but it was not a nice smile. It was the smile that belonged to the Tom that called Mr. Big, 'Master'. It was the smile of the drugged Tom. It was a smile Skinner had hoped he would never see again.

Tom rolled over to his side then pushed himself upwards, moving to his feet. Skinner backed away from Tom, not knowing what else he could do. Tom took a half step towards Skinner than stopped, an expression of pain flashing over his face before he dropped back down to his knees. Inside, Tom had started to fight again.

_Himself._

_He was looking at himself._

_The thing that was stopping him from waking up... from being Tom again. It was himself. He was the reason why Mr. Big could control him, why Smith had been able to drug him. _

_It was all his fault._

TBC...

Hope everyone enjoyed this part and please leave a review... 

~Sethoz


	22. Eyes Open Boy

**Disclaimer:- **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Harker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. So, I was slightly faster this time round, wasn't I. 

**Clez:- **Aww.... *is now a _very_ interesting shade of red as she blushes* Thanks for that. I'm really, really, really glad you liked the Allan/Tom scene, spent ages writing and re-writing that one part...

**Silversnow:- **Why thank you. You're a very good writer as well.

**Silent Bob 546:- ***Watches as Tom backs away from Bob* Don't think he's pregnant... *Tom goes a funny shade of green and shakes head wildly* Well, Tom's fate - to do with the whole internal thing - is reveled in this part!

**Hoshii-chan:- **Thank you kindly.

**Steffi-333:- **hehehehe *laughs, a bit nervously* See... uh... Tom's savior. well... yes... I save Tom in this part and they eat chocolate and dance in fields of pretty flowers... *clears throat* Glad you liked Tom's battle...

**LotRseer3350:- **I hurried! I hurried as fast as my ikle fingers would let me. 

**Niani:- **Crazy Niani sounds interesting. *grins*

**Capt.Cow:- **Hopefully this will ease some confusion.

**Lyn:- **Carried on. Hope you enjoy this part.

**Graymoon74:- **You remember you said you can't wait to find out what happens next? Well, some people say ignorance is bliss... ;)

**Crystal Nox:- **The dream girl is- nah, I'm not telling you yet! But she does indeed have a name and will play a bigger part in chapters to come. *watches you kidnap Skinner* Hey! I need him for this part!

**ScifiRouge:- **I know... some people can be so nasty to Tom can't they! Honestly, making him fight people he cares about... *shifty look*

**funyun:-** Okay, you found me out. But I am nice to Tom in this part... I promise... Well, the whole thing being Tom's fault is explained in this part. And the whole 'clever' drug thing is explained as well.

Now...

**The Bodyguard. **

~~~ 

Part Twenty-Two:- Eyes Open Boy

~~~ 

Outside of the Maze, the sand was blowing over the grizzled remains of Smith. All signs of life had long since fled and now only a skeleton remained. At least, that was what it looked like. If Mina had still been standing there she would have seen something that would had horrified her. The skeleton remains' of Smith were moving. They weren't standing up or heading towards the Maze with clear purpose. Instead they were twitching pathetically on the sand. 

_//Why am I still alive?\\ _The thought drifted into his conscious thoughts and the skull shifted slightly, using his rapidly fading energy to try and answer that thought. When he had been stabbed and dropped to the ground a welcomed darkness had surrounded him, a cold creeping into his body and freezing his mind. He had waited - waited for his consciousness to rejoin the ranks of the Well. He had waited and he was rewarded by a sudden pain and light. 

Smith was slowly dying. Somehow when the blade had entered his body it had not killed him instantly and his soul still lingered, clinging onto the mortal life. Which meant until he died there could be no new guardian of the Well, no-one to make sure everything worked as it should be. And even when the new guardian was formed, he or she would attack Big. Unless Big beat them in combat, the new guardian would not accept Big as the Master of the Well. That was just the way it was. His bones twitched again and all thought slowly slid away as he just lay there, waiting for the welcome grasp of death and the joining with the rest of the Well.

~~~ 

The screams and cries of pain had stopped minutes ago. Even Tom's labored breathing had become quiet, a faint sound the only indication the American was still alive. Skinner groaned as another wave of pain shot up his nose and he winced, wishing yet again that his hands were free. He slowly dropped his head back down - he had raised it to try and stop the bleeding - and then looked over at Tom Sawyer. A lone tear had trickled down the Spy's face and it was simply resting on his cheek.

"Oh Sawyer..." Skinner said. He hated this, _hated_ it. To be forced to be so close to Tom but not able to help, to be only able to stare at his blank friend. The dull gaze of Tom was fixed on the ceiling as he stared upwards and Skinner had a worrying thought that maybe, Tom wasn't in there anymore. Maybe there was nothing left of the Tom he knew. Maybe... Maybe there wasn't even anything left of the drugged Tom, maybe Skinner had pushed too hard. Maybe he was just... empty. 

Maybe Skinner was looking at nothing more than a shell.

~~~ 

Big paced up and down, up and down, up and down, grumbling quietly to himself. From the other side of the platform his captives were forced to watch him, unable to even blink without Big's permission. The English Colonel sighed and spun on his heel, heading towards the League, stopping just a few feet from where Mina was sat, her eyes - the only expressive part she could still control - burning with hatred. 

"I'm bored." Big said. He glanced over his captives with a critical eye. "You and you." He said, pointing at both Mina and Jekyll. "Stand up." Unwillingly, the two stood, feeling their body's being jerked to make them move faster. The two stood there, nothing more than spectators in their own bodies. Big frowned slightly, then smiled coldly.

"Dance together." He commanded. Stiffly the two League members moved closer together and began to dance, hands loosely holding each other. Mina's skirt billowed out gracefully behind her as Dr. Jekyll's body spun her. From a distance the dance was sensuous, beautiful. It was only when you looked closer that you could see the stiff way the limbs moved, as if the dancers were string puppets and someone was above them, pulling on the strings. Both Mina and Jekyll kept their eyes carefully blank, not wanting to let Big know what they were feeling. It was the only power they had left over their bodies and both were determined to use it.

"Stop." Big snapped, frowning as he caught sight of the blank eyes. He wanted to **hurt** these people, to wound them mentally while he was waiting for Sawyer to come back. He wanted to punish them for trying to stop him, for being responsible for the death of his older brother - admittedly, he had never really got on with any of his family but that was beside the point. The point was you didn't mess with family. Forcing them to watch as their precious American killed himself to save Big before Big then killed them himself would be something, but he still had to fill in the time between now and Sawyer's death.

_//Sawyer's death... ah it feels so good to think and imagine that...\\ _

"Sit back down." He said as he sat on the floor as well, legs crossed and blandly stared at them.

"Well... what shall we do now?" He asked, mainly to himself, as the League were, of course, incapable of answering. Big snapped his fingers and a boyish grin graced his pale features, his black hair flopping down over his icy blue eyes.

"I know! Let me explain to you all about the drug I gave Sawyer. So when he comes back and kills himself, you can watch, knowing that he's a prisoner in his own head." Big said softly, drawing out the words and letting his tongue run along his teeth. For a split second Mina's eyes flashed a bloodthirsty red before returning to the more human shade of blue. Mr. Big however, had seen the tiny lapse in control and knew he had struck a nerve there. So he pressed home his advantage.

"You see, one of the many ingredients of the drug is a tiny scraping of the well. No bigger than a grain of sand, it is that which causes the most interesting reaction. You, Vampire, when the drug was given to you and you passed out, those few minutes before you woke, you had a very interesting dream did you not? I don't know just who you saw, but it would have been the person that would have hurt the most. That's how it works you see, it makes your mind create an image of people you care about and it uses that to control you." Big finished smugly. Inwardly Mina shouted and screamed in anger at his pompous filled words. She had seen Count Dracula when the drug had knocked her out - she had seen him and he had bitten her. When she woke, her bite marks were still faded, a clear indication that nothing had bitten her recently but the memory had hurt her, and she had found herself unable to fight the drug because she had given up, even if it was just for a second. 

She didn't want to think who Tom must have seen.

~~~ 

Skinner looked at the flaming torch lying on the ground, where it had fallen from the robed man's grasp. He looked back at Tom - who was still staring up at the celling with a dazed, far away look in his eyes - then over again at the fire. An idea started to form in the back of his mind as he gave the ropes a wiggle. They were still tight - but they were rope. Rope _burned_. Skinner sat down and began to inch backwards, heading towards the fire. A slight move to the left, then another push backwards - the rope met the flames. Skinner gave a lop-sided grin then soon faded as he sniffed. The smell of burning leather came to his nostrils and he realized with horror that he had managed to set himself alight. Skinner tried to drop and roll, but found he couldn't properly. He whimpered and looked over to Tom.

"Sawyer! Please, wake up!" He shouted, the desperation in his voce only increasing as he realized the fire had also spread to the dead body and was burning away merrily. A second glance showed him the fire was also speeding onto the boxes scattered around the room. Skinner groaned. He had set the whole room a light.

Skinner _really_ needed a drink - that or for Tom to wake up, before they both burned to death. Skinner couldn't move Tom until his hands were free. His hands would only be free when the fire had burned through the ropes. By the time the fire had burned through the ropes, they would be trapped. What on earth had driven him to go anywhere near fire? He despised the stuff, and with good reason. With a yelp, he realized the fire on his coat was starting to get very hot and began to try everything he could to put it out.

"Now would be a good time Tom..." He muttered.

~~~ 

_Himself._

_He was looking at himself. _

_The thing that was stopping him from waking up... from being Tom again. It was himself. He was the reason why Mr. Big could control him, why Smith had been able to drug him. _

_It was all his fault. His double seemed to be able to read his thoughts and nodded._

_"That's right Thomas. You're weak... you should have been able to fight the drug, to stop yourself from hurting your friends. Now, you are just to ashamed to wake up and have to face the people you let down, the people you betrayed. So your mind created the images of Huck, Allan and even the dream girl in a bid to protect you, but no, you couldn't accept what your subconsciousness already knew and you had to fight. So I'm here to tell you... Give it up." The other Tom said, saying the last three words slowly and clearly, to make sure Tom understood them. Tom took a step backwards and stumbled over something, falling back onto his back. Leaning on his elbows, he looked up at himself, the fear and doubt written on his face._

_"...All my fault?" He asked in a whisper. The double sighed and nodded and Tom drew himself into a ball, resting his arms on his knees and bowing his head. His Doppelganger crouched down and stared at the mop of blond hair, watching with interest as the shoulders began to shake._

_"Give it up Thomas." The double said. Slowly, ever so slowly, Tom lifted his head so his eyes were level with himself. The doppelganger took a step backwards in shock as he saw Tom's eyes. Instead of broken, tear filled green eyes he was faced with eyes that burning with a cold fury._

_"Get out of my head!" Tom yelled, springing up and grabbing the other him. "Maybe you are telling the truth, maybe not, but I have to wake up, because I will not leave my friends with Big!"_

_"You still think they are your friends?" Tom's doppleganger asked with amusement. "Come off it Thomas, they will be glad to see the back of you! They probably blame you for Allan's death, and only came after you to get their revenge for betraying them in Scotland." He finished. Tom glared at him, almost shaking in his rage. Suddenly a mixture of sound came to his ears and he let go of the 'dream' Tom, staggering to the side as if the sound had hit him in his body. He could hear a woman's voice whispering his name, Skinner shouting, pleading for him to wake up and past all that, as a sort of background noise, the low sound of crackling - the sound of fire. Tom gave a yelp the slammed sideways into the other Tom, sending them both into the ground. The two American's rolled about on the floor, each struggling to gain the upper hand, each unable to do so, as they were the same in skill and fighting ability, each knowing what the other was about to do and managing to block before trying to attack only to be blocked. And all the while the fire sound became louder and louder. One of the Tom's broke away from the other and sprang to his feet, panting slightly._

_"That is enough. This is over." The Tom said. The other Tom also climbed to his feet and scowled, the expression transforming his face._

_"What are you talking about?" He asked. The first Tom gave lazy smile and breathed deeply, then gave a little wave of the hand. _

_"It's simple. I can't beat you in a fight. After all you are me and vice versa. So I'm not going to fight you - and you are not going to fight me. You are going to leave me alone and I am going to wake up and face what I did." Tom said. The double sighed and shrugged his shoulders._

_"Fine. You want to wake up and face them... just don't say I didn't warn you." His double said, before simply fading away._

~~~ 

The ropes snapped and Skinner tore his arms free, instantly dropping to the ground and rolling about, trying to put his coat out. After a few frantic seconds he succeeded and looked around, coughing as did so, the smoke becoming thicker and thicker. He glanced over at Tom then back at the door before doing a double take. Tom was no longer lying on the floor. In fact... tom was no longer in sight at all.

"Tom?" Skinner called out, as loud as he dared. Some of the thick smoke entered his lungs and he began to cough wildly, dropping to his knees to try and get away from the smoke. His lungs burned with every breath he took and it seemed as if he would never stop coughing, he felt as if he was going to cough up his stomach. Then, out of nowhere, hands were pulling at him, dragging him towards the door. Skinner stumbled out into fresh - as in no smoke - air and gasped, taking in deep breaths of air. A panting could be heard to his side and Skinner risked a glance to his left. Tom Sawyer was standing there, hands on his knees, doubled over, panting hard, his Winchester on the ground. Skinner slowly took a step away from him as Tom raised his head, peering at the thief through his bangs.

"How the _hell_ did you managed to set the room on fire Skinner?" Tom asked. The invisible man blinked a few times.

"That you Tom?" He finally asked. Tom smiled humorlessly at him, picking up his weapon as the coughing fit finally ended.

"Yep." He said shortly. "Come on, we better get moving." He added. Skinner nodded, before another wave of coughing attacked him and threatened to send him to the ground. At the same time he moved his head suddenly and gave a yelp of pain as he remembered his nose. 

"Skinner? Skinner, what's wrong?" Tom asked, moving closer to his friend.

"My nose..." Skinner muttered, prodding at it gently. It didn't seem broken but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"... Thanks by the way..." Tom said quietly, refusing to met Skinner's gaze as he helped him. "I could hear you and well... thanks."

"Don't mention it mate. Now come on, Big has our friends." Skinner answered.

~~~ 

Big scowled. Sawyer should have returned by now, with either the dead body of that thief or with the man tied up. 

"You two." He said pointing at two of the robed men. "Go and find Sawyer, I don't care if he has found Skinner or not, just get him back here." He snapped. The men nodded and took off, each holding a rifle, their hoods covering their faces. Big sighed and twisted his head, trying to ease the tension he could feel building up his neck. He was almost out of time - he could feel it, he had to get Sawyer down that well and down it quickly. 

~~~ 

Tom and Skinner were nearing the cavern that housed the Well when they first heard the footsteps approaching them. The two ducked into the shadows as the robed men moved past them. Skinner nudged Tom, pointing at the American's weapon. Tom nodded and raised his gun, aiming at one of the men. But Tom found he couldn't pull the trigger... to shoot someone in the back... well, it just didn't seem right. And no matter how much Tom tried to tell himself the man would gladly shoot him in the back and was working for Big who had put him through hell, Tom still couldn't pull the trigger. 

"Hey!" He shouted, the word echoing off the walls and bouncing around. The men turned to face Tom and in that second Tom found he could fire again. He pressed the trigger before ducking back into the side passage. The other man gave chase, Tom and Skinner only just managing to avoid being hit by the robed man's shooting. It also meant that Tom couldn't fire back.

The two sprinted around a corner and found themselves facing a dead end. Skinner muttered a curse while Tom glanced around in a mad frenzy, before looking down at the floor. There, where the floor met the wall was a crack, that opened into another passage. 

"We might be able to move through here." Tom said, his back to Skinner, crouching down to stare at the hole. Skinner glanced over his shoulder, he could hear the man get closer and closer, moving a tiny bit slower in case they were going to launch an attack. Tom had dropped his Winchester as he bent by the crack.

"It might be a tight fit, but I think we ca-" Tom words were cut off as Skinner slammed the Winchester over Tom's head. The young Spy dropped without another sound. Without allowing himself time to think about what he had just done, Skinner pushed his still friend through the gap and turned to face where the robed man was about to appear from, the weapon held tightly in his hands.

TBC...

There you have it, part 23 should be up very, very soon! Please, please leave a review!

~Sethoz


	23. Sacrifice

Disclaimer:- I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Harker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. One, very important note here. PLEASE READ. A few different torture methods are mentioned in this chapter. Every one mentioned does exist, though only one is described. If anyone really wants me to, I can include information about the other methods in the next part or I can e-mail the information. Otherwise, just imagine that they are really nasty. Got that? Great! =) Now, the shout outs.  
  
Angharad:- Yeah, I'm glad Tom's a good guy again as well...  
  
Clez:- That was indeed some form of thief logic... just not a very good example. Doomed the lot of them? Ohh, could be, could be. Guess you'll just have to wait and find out, won't you. *grins*  
  
Silent Bob 546:- Ah, I wouldn't worry too much about Smith... you'll see why soon. Hope the confusion will pass, this story is drawing to a close... soon.  
  
LotRseer3350:- Skinner was - believe it or not - trying to help Tom... he just made a mess of it, don't worry, Skinner's motives are discussed in this part.  
  
Graymoon74:- Never played Tomb Raider... okay, I did, but never got past the second level, plus the butler scared me.... *shrugs shoulders* Though locking him in the freezer was an art I grew good at. Tom ready to save the day... *sniggers* Yes... and as for the bad feeling, it was probably right.  
  
Funyun:- Originally, in the first draft I wrote, Mina did see Jonathan, but in the end I decided that since Dracula biting Mina was something Mina gave into, then it would work. Ah, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, a movie I saw for the very first time last year and I love it... so yeah, that's probably where the idea came from. I know, Tom will be feeling very low after that hit... and Skinner's reasons will be explained, don't worry.  
  
Niani:- Glad you liked the last part, hope you like this one as well.  
  
Silversnow:- Hold my muse hostage, please, be my guest! After what it made me do in this part...  
  
Hoshii-chan:- Don't worry, lots of people were confused about Skinner's actions but they are explained, don't worry.  
  
Steffi-333:- I know, Skinner isn't really... that bright now is he. Where did you get the idea I wasn't going to hurt Tom? This is me afterall... [wait till you read this part...]  
  
And now...  
  
The Bodyguard.   
  
~~~   
  
Part Twenty-Three:- Sacrifice  
  
~~~   
  
"Tom... Tom, wake up!" The female voice penetrated the fog surrounding his brain and the American blinked a few times to try and wake up. He could feel a horrible pounding in his head, as if an army of tiny Egyptians were running around inside of his head and trying to quarry rocks out of his brain to make a pyramid. He groaned slightly as the fog lifted from his eyes.   
  
Bending over Tom, the worry viable in her blue eyes was the Dream girl... only she didn't look like the dream girl anymore. For a start Tom could have sworn her eyes were brown. Her hair was lighter as well, a pale, mousy brown, instead of the dark brown, almost black hair she had before. Other than that, she seemed the same person. Tom sighed, and tried to focus on her, ignoring the fuzzy doubles he could see.  
  
"Oh great." Tom said, biting back another groan as he attempted to roll over on his side. Instantly the Dream girl was there, helping him move. Tom froze, then slowly rolled back, so he was looking upwards. "Is this a dream again?" He asked. The Dream girl shook her head, a low laugh leaving her mouth.  
  
"As strange as this may seem Tom, no this isn't a dream. It's the real world." She said. Tom frowned, but found he didn't have the energy to argue with her.   
  
"Did... why did Skinner hit me?" Tom asked slowly, almost afraid of the answer.  
  
"He was trying to help you. You see, Big has to complete the ritual within a certain time and he is rapidly running out of that. Skinner thought if he could keep you away from Big long enough the time for the ritual will pass." The girl said.  
  
"That's silly." Tom said with a frown. "There is no way I would leave the rest of the League with Big, after all if he can't find me, he might hurt them... and that's why Skinner knocked me out isn't it?" He finished with a sigh. "He knew I wouldn't leave them and I would put myself in harm's way."  
  
"Precisely. Skinner thought he was acting for the best when he knocked you out. There was no way you would go down that crack without him, you wouldn't leave a friend. So Skinner did the only thing he could think of." The Dream girl said softly. Tom leaned his head back, feeling tears coming to his eyes. He blinked at them, to stop them falling. If the girl noticed, she didn't say anything.  
  
"Skinner is in trouble. Mr. Big has him and the rest of your friends." She said. Tom closed his eyes, but made no effort to stand up.  
  
"What's the point?" Tom asked in a dull voice. "They all hate me and Big is going to kill them what ever I do..." He sighed, trying to regain even a fraction of his optimism that he was so well known for.  
  
"Is there any chance?"   
  
"There is always a chance Tom... fortunes wheel is forever turning because nothing is certain." The girl said. She looked to the left for a second, her gaze far away, before looking back at him, a faint smile on her face.   
  
"Listen to me. Everything you have seen and done since entering the Maze has led to this point. What happens now though - is entirely up to you. I won't lie and say this is a large chance Agent Sawyer... the odds are probably smaller than when you went to Mongolia. So. Will you risk it all and do something that is almost certainly suicide?" She asked, holding out a hand to help him up. Tom looked up at her through a curtain of blond hair. He knew that the hand was a sign. His choice. Tom lifted his injured hand and stared at it, the blood slowly stained the bandage where he had been cut.  
  
Tom reached out with his other hand and grasped her own with his. The hand was smooth and pale. She smiled.  
  
"Good luck Tom." The Dream girl said, pulling him to his feet. As she did, she started to fade and become transparent, her hand loosing it's sense of being made up of solid matter - a feeling that, for Tom, was not very pleasant, his only support vanishing under his grip. By the time Tom was standing on his feet, the girl was gone.  
  
~~~   
  
The bundle of coat, blood and grease paint that was Skinner moved and a pitiful whimper of pain escaped from the mouth. The British thief was not yet regained consciousness and Mr. Big was starting to get annoyed and more than a little worried. He was almost out of time. Ever since the robed man had returned with a knocked out Skinner and Sawyer's Winchester rife, Big had known that something, somewhere, had gone horribly wrong. The rest of the League were seated inside the platform, one of the two remaining robed men standing next to him. The other robed figure was standing just outside of the influence of the spell that held the League in place, and handing from the mans hands was Skinner. Big was just inside the platform, a look of disgust on his face.  
  
"Wake him up." Big snapped. "I know, I know." He added, seeing how the robed man was looking at the unconsciousness man. "Do what ever you have to, just wake him up." The robed man began to shake Skinner by the collar as if he was a dog. The thief gave a yelp of pain as the world rushed back to him, swaying as it did so.  
  
//When did I end up on a ship? If I'm not on one, then why is the world moving?\\  
  
"Ah, Skinner. At least, you've decided to join us." Mr. Big practically purred, as the greased head lifted and looked around.  
  
//... Oh Bugger...\\  
  
"I will say this only once and you had better hope you give me the answer I want. Where is Sawyer?" Big asked. Skinner shrugged slightly, the movement sending a tingling feeling down his spin and throughout his body.  
  
"I don't know." He answered. Big's eyes narrowed and he gave a short nod. The man standing behind Skinner and holding him in place tightened his grip as the second robed man walked over, holding something in his hand. Skinner regarded him warily as the man got closer and closer until he was standing next to Mr. Big. The man slipped the glove like object with metal fingers onto his hand and punched. Skinner gasped and bent over, the breath knocked out of him.  
  
"Wrong answer." Big hissed. The man with the weapon like glove lifted his hand and smashed it down on Skinner's back. The League member would have fallen to the ground if the first man hadn't been holding him in place. Big gave a another small nod and the man backed away slightly.   
  
"There is something I want to tell you Skinner." Big said, his voice level. "Sawyer was very much like you when I first caught him. Disobedient, lying, not knowing what was best for him. I passed him over to Smith, who learnt everything he did to your friend from me. Now, I may not be able to recreate everything that I had done to your American friend... the Chinese water torture, the dunking, the fire, the beatings, giving him the bastinado with red ants or my personal favourite; an invention of the American's, the Modern water torture but I can cause you untold pain."  
  
//You bastard...\\ Skinner thought, as he listened to Big rattle off the list of everything he done to Tom.  
  
"Now. Where is Sawyer?" Big asked again. Skinner laughed, a laugh that turned into a long cough.  
  
"Go to hell." He finally answered in a harsh voice before coughing again. There was a short pause.  
  
"Are you religious Skinner?" Big asked, his lips pressed firmly together. "It was often believed, in Catholic countries, that the soul of a heretic or witch was corrupted, filthy, and bedeviled by all manner of foulness. So they developed a way to cleanse the soul. The heretic was forced to consume heated or scalding consumables (scalding water, fire brands, coals, even soaps). I do so think religion is a wonderful thing." He said with a sigh. "It teaches us so much that we need to know about the world." Big stopped talking and the silence that hung in the cavern was thick with tension and fear. Skinner stared in horror at the Colonel who had a faint smile on his face.  
  
"You have lied to me and swore at me. I think it is safe to assume that your soul is dirty. However... luckily for you, I have some water with me and something to heat it with, meaning we can cleanse your soul. Aren't you lucky. So, I will ask you again. One. Last. Time. Where is Sawyer?"  
  
"I'm right here." Tom said, standing at the entrance to the cavern, a hand resting on the wall to his side. Big smiled and tilted his head to the side, before moving to the left and letting the robed man drag Skinner inside the influence of the spell.  
  
"Why there you are Sawyer. Come on, we don't have much time." Big said, the smile still on his face. Tom stared back at him, his face empty. He didn't know what to do, he had no weapons, no plan, he hadn't even meant to say anything. He had been forced to, in a bid to stop Big hurting Skinner anymore. The smile on the Colonel's face faded slightly.  
  
"Sawyer!" He snapped. "Come here!"  
  
"No." The word slipped out before Tom could stop it. He blinked a few times, feeling dizzy and lightheaded all of a sudden. Big clenched a fist together and his mouth fell open as he understood.  
  
"How...? No matter." He muttered to himself before closing his mouth and allowing a sly smile to come to his face.  
  
"What are you going to do Sawyer? You have no weapon and even if you have manged to find something, there is no way you can kill all three of us at the same time. The moment you attack my men will start to kill your friends. And you know that even if you kill me, that will not end the spell holding them."  
  
"There is more than one way to end the spell..." Tom said, the words sounding hollow even to himself. Mr. Big nodded.  
  
"Two ways in fact. One: finish the ritual correctly. Or two: you and I have to leave the spell at the same time. You have one choice Sawyer. Jump. Tell the souls that you have given your life willingly." Mr. Big stated. Tom stared at him in disbelief before laughing.  
  
"You're joking right? You can't force me down that well, if you do, I'll tell the souls that I was unwilling."  
  
"If you don't I will kill your friends." Big said calmly. Tom froze, then shook his head slightly.  
  
"Even if I do jump, there is nothing to stop you killing them after." Tom snapped back. On the platform Mina's eyes widened slightly, as she realized Tom was even thinking about doing what that... thing wanted. Big sighed dramatically.  
  
"Think boy. Once I absorb your life energy the spell will be broken and your friends can move again. A side effect of the absorption of a life is temporary invincibility. Your friends will have the chance to escape. You have no choice Sawyer. If you want to give your friends even the slightest chance to live..." He trailed off and Tom clenched his free hand into a fist, gritting his teeth together.  
  
"There is always more choice that first thought." A female voice whispered. Tom snapped his head to the right, where the Dream girl was standing. Her hair had completely transformed by now, the color a striking blond.  
  
"Tom... remember. There is more choice than he thinks." She said. At the other end of the narrow path Big frowned as Tom turned his head to the right, staring at empty space. Big stared hard at the area Tom was looking at and for a split second he thought he could see a shimmer of light. Tom nodded and muttered something to his right, but Big was too far away to hear it. Then the American started to walk proudly down the path, head held high.  
  
//No Sawyer... don't do it... not for us...\\ Dr. Jekyll thought. After only a few seconds Tom had come face to face with Big. The two locked eyes, green burning into blue.  
  
"Remember, for the ritual to work, you must say you gave your life willingly. If you don't the ritual will fail and your friends will pay the price." Big said. He held out the Dagger of the Well, carefully wrapped in a handkerchief. Tom silently took it and headed toward the center of the platform, where the Well sat. He climbed the three steps and stood on the rim peering down into the darkness. A faint purple light could be seen deep inside.  
  
"We are waiting." A hissing voice said, that came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Only Tom seemed aware of the voice though.  
  
~~~   
  
Outside of the maze Smith gave a gasp of pain and screamed as his arm disintegrated before his very eye sockets. The sand storm blew more fiercely, completely covering the skeleton that had once been Smith. With a final, soul haunting cry the bones turned to dust and Smith's spirit fled back to the Well.  
  
Inside without looking back at the League and the gloating face of Mr. Big, Tom tensed his muscles and took a deep breath, gripping the Dagger in his uninjured hand as he stood on the rim of the Well.  
  
And then - Agent Tom Sawyer jumped.  
  
TBC...  
  
Hope everyone liked that part and *crosses fingers in hope* that no one will threaten to kill me. Anyway, check back soon for the next part!  
  
~Sethoz 


	24. Words of the Dead

Disclaimer: I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Harker, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, Skinner or anything else I have used in this chapter, with the exception of Mr. Big. **Important note:** I have a beta now. Her name is 'Silver Bow.' She's lovely person who asked to beta my word and I love her for it! :)

Now, on with the Shout Outs.

**Clez:-** *pats head* There, there. Yes, Tom did jump. Make up for it? *looks chapter over and laughs nervously* Well... you see...

**Angharad:-** I take it you liked the last part then?

**Funyun:-** Morbid? I... don't know what you mean. Glad you were not expecting Tom to jump, that is what makes it a twist! And yes, Smith's death... the important thing to remember is when Smith died. If he had died a few moments earlier... well... it would have been better for the League...

**Silent Bob 546:-** Does Tom die? Well... you'll just have to wait and see, won't you! ;) Glad you enjoyed it!

**Lyn:- **Thanks!

**ScifiRogue:- **You say I'm evil like its a bad thing... *sniggers at the Jack line* That's one way of looking at it, I guess...

**LotRseer3350:-** The last thing I want is a mob of angry Tom fans near me... *shakes at the thought* Yep, the lack of guardian is important.

**Steffi-333:- **Tissue? *holds out packet of tissues.* Is the Dream girl from Tom's past? Instresting theory... 

**Niani:- **Don't worry. I may not kill him.

**Xphile-LOTRfreak:- **Why, thank you.

**Capt.cow:-** I won an award?? Wow! Sorry this took so long to post, hope it was worth the wait!

**Stormyronin:- ***Blushes* Thanks, nice of you to say.

**Tigerseye1:-** I'm sorry, I can't help leaving them at cliffies... my bad.

**Silversnow:-** *rises eyebrow* An evil laugh? That was unexpected, yet very good... :D

And now...

**The Bodyguard.**

~~~ 

Part Twenty-Four:- Words of the Dead

~~~ 

If Mina had control of her own body she would have screamed or shouted out loud in denial and disbelief. She would have sprung to her feet and ran over to where the Well was, to peer down the mouth and into the blackness below.

But then, if she had control of her own body, she would never have let Tom get near the Well in the first place. The fact remained however, that the female Vampire didn't have control over her actions and therefore could do nothing but watch as her friend - Agent Sawyer was one of the very few people Mina called a friend - throw his own life away in a desperate bid to save everyone else.

It was only the strength of the spell that held Rodney Skinner upright. His body had actually collapsed ten minutes ago and he now hung limply in the air, panting as much as the restriction of the spell would allow him to. Skinner tried to close his eyes, to bow his head in defeat but found that the spell would not even allow him that small mercy. So he hung from the power of the spell, eyes fixed on a spot past the well, forcing his mind into a blank space, to try and numb the pain he could feel burning though his body, threatening to make him combust from the pain.

Even Edward Hyde had roared in anger - though only internally - when Sawyer had jumped. The monster alter-ego had raged and ranted, furious that Big still lived and that he had been deprived of the blood and guts that he enjoyed so much. Sadly – for Henry Jekyll at least – because Hyde was not in control at the moment, it meant that he was not under the spells power and so could rant all he wanted, with his single captive audience. 

Internally Nemo began to chant – a chant of the dead. He began to recite the long chant that guided the dead to their destination, what ever it may be. He knew that he would have to repeat this again, for Agent Sawyer's soul, but out loud. Part of him was amazed at the way his mind had instantly seemed to accept Tom as dead, but the other part of his mind firmly chanted the words that were supposed to be a comfort for the dead, to help them but really, they comforted only the living.

Mr. Big laughed. 

~~~ 

Tom had expected to fall and, in a way, he was. He knew he was falling but he found he could stand on his feet and stare around without the sensation of moving. The scenery around him didn't change either and if it wasn't for the fact that if looked up he could see a small circle of light and if he looked down he could see... nothing, he could almost fool himself into thinking that he was simply standing still. 

Tom knew he was falling. He had to be falling because he had jumped down the Well of Souls. You just didn't stop falling unless you hit some kind of bottom or managed to cling onto a side. And as Tom had done neither of these things, it stood to reason that he was still falling. So he fell without falling. As he did so, he found his mind travelled back to the last words the Dream girl had said.

"_The key to knowing every choice you have, is understanding. Everyone and everything must understand all that has happened. The more people who understand, the more choice you have."_

Tom frowned as the words repeated themselves, as if on a loop. The three sentences ran around and around his head and Tom couldn't help but shake off the feeling that the girl had thought of choice that hadn't occurred to Tom, but, for some unknown reason, she had chosen not to tell him. 

Unless she had told him, in those few little words. The American heard the words, but he didn't understand them, not if there was a hidden meaning to them. He had thought that she meant he had to understand what he was doing and that he had to make both Big and the League understand as well. 

"_...Everyone and everything..." _

Why had she said 'everything'? That was the thing that confused Tom. Everyone made sense, but everything? How can you explain a situation to a thing? All this passed in the time it took to blink and the next thing Tom knew... he had stopped falling. This time he knew without a doubt that he had stopped. He knew it in the same way that he knew he was alive. It was just something he knew without being told. Tom stared around him as a purple light appeared and surrounded him, a faint sound coming to his ears. He blinked and as he did so, the spirits of the Well of the Souls spoke.

"We are the dead... we are the life. Have you given your life willingly?" The multitude of voices asked, the light swirling around Tom Sawyer. The young man stared around him, knowing that the owners of the voices had no bodies and so it was pointless looking for them. Never the less, he looked anyway.

"Have you given your life willingly?" The voices asked again, a perfect combination of male and female voices. The strength of the voices caused him to flinch and lower his head. Tom licked his lips and swallowed a few times, as the words of the girl rang in his head one more time. And suddenly... Tom understood. It came to him in a flash, a second of deep clarity and he knew what she had meant. He knew what he had to do, or at the very least, what he had to try to do, as there was no guarantee this would work.

"Have you given your life willingly?" Came the voices for a third time and again the words were repeated without anger or or any other emotion. Tom lifted his head to stare straight ahead, determination in his eyes.

"Yes."

~~~ 

Mr. Big stopped laughing, the sharp bark echoing around the seemingly endless craven. His cold blue eyes rested thoughtfully on the League, silenced only by the spell – and even then, silenced only in the mouth. Their eyes had voices of their own, and they spoke volumes. This only served to amuse Big further and he sniggered slightly, before lazily waving his hand in their direction.

"You can talk... but you cannot move." He said. The presser holding Mina's mouth shut vanished at once and she let out a slight exhalation of relief despite herself. Nemo and Jekyll did the same while Skinner let out a little whimper of pain. Now that he had been given a voice, Rodney found that he could do nothing but let let his pain speak for him. Big closed his eyes and sighed in delight as he listened to the painful gasping of his captive. He waved his hand in the air as if conducting an invisible band. 

"Such beautiful music..." Mr. Big mused, slowly opening his eyes and staring at his captives, a mocking smile on his face. He cocked his head to one side and stared at them slyly.

"What's the matter? Don't any of you have anything to say to me?" He taunted. The League stared at him, defiantly silent – bar Skinner's involuntary moans of pain. Big tutted and turned away from them to stare at the quiet Well. As if in answer to a unsaid prayer from the Colonel, Tom Sawyer's body came flying back out of the top of the wall. It hit the stone lip and rolled down the few steps to rest at the base of the Well, the head on the ground, one leg raised slightly, spread over two of the shallow steps. Big stared hard at the still body, noticing the way the leg hung limply and the way the chest seemed frozen. He waited, watching, as if daring the body to breathe. 

The chest remained still and did not rise or fall.

Satisfied with this point, Mr. Big then turned his attention to the Dagger of the Well. It rested against Tom's outstretched right hand. The handle lay diagonally across his palm, the naked blade just touching the base of one of his fingers. It did not burn or mar his flesh and Mr. Big took that to mean that Tom was indeed dead and that the Well has accepted his soul as a sacrifice. So Mr. Big was safe for another two years. He turned away from the body, to stare at the League who all had varying degrees of shock on their faces. He idly watched them for a few moments, making no move to finish the ritual.

"Of course, you and I... we all know that there is no way you will just leave when the spell is broken." Big said at last in a bored tone, watching the League in a manner that was similar of a cat watching a mouse it had been playing with for hours before growing bored and moving in for the kill.

"What Agent Sawyer failed to realise in his last moments of his life is that you are idiotic enough to try and fight me, in the hope that you will defeat me before I kill you all... or perhaps I am wrong? Perhaps you will walk away from the person who killed your fellow member?" He paused and waited for an answer. As before, the only sound from the League was the pained sounds coming from Rodney Skinner. Big sighed.

"Very well. I suppose it will just have to be a surprise for me... I really should kill you now, while you are helpless... but it will be so much more satisfying for me to kill you, using the energy of your friend." He smirked at them as he said this. 

Behind Mr. Big, Tom silently opened his eyes. His chest rose and fell. The two eyes stared blankly upwards before slowly, oh ever so slowly, the head turned to the side, looking towards Mr. Big and the imprisoned League. Some of Tom's dishevelled blond locks fell over his face as he turned, casting his eyes into shadow. The hand the Dagger was resting on twitched, as if Tom was only slowly gaining control over his body. It seemed - to the watching League at least- as if Tom was not used to his body movements and how to move his limbs. Something, which made no sense.

Mr. Big smiled one last time at his captives, not noticing that the League were staring past him in hope instead of horror. He began to turn towards Tom's body, intent on completing the ritual, when Mina cried out in despair.

"Wait!"

Big froze and looked back at the female Vampire. In a fury of movement Tom sprung to his feet, the Dagger leaving his hand and flying towards Mr. Big. The English man turned and only had time to try and dough the shinning blade before it embedded itself in his lower abdomen. He screamed in pain and anger as the blade burned him. Big clutched at the hilt of the Dagger, but found he was unable to grasp it as the pain was too great. With a final scream he took a half step towards Tom before collapsing to the ground and falling deadly quiet. 

Tom however, saw none of this. The second the Dagger had left his hand he had dived forward, reaching for his holster harness and the twin Colt pistols that resided within. The weapons had been left by the edge of the Well and as his fingers closed around them he ducked forward into a roll, thereby saving himself from the bullets that had been fired by the two robed men. Without stopping for breath he ripped the guns out of the harness and sprang back to his feet, a gun aimed at each man. His head was turned towards the one of the left and that man took a step backwards at something he could see on the young American's face. 

Tom fired. The guns echoed defyingly loud in the craven and at the same time both men fell to the ground, a neat little hole in each forehead. Tom carelessly dropped the weapons to the ground and turned towards the League, his head lowered as he fixed his eyes on the hand which had held the Dagger. He flecked the fingers, as if to prove something to himself.

"Tom?" Mina asked. Tom's head remained bowed as he stared at his unblemished hand which should have been burnt. Then the head lifted and the League found themselves staring into Tom's eyes...

... Which were now completely black, no trace of green left in them. 

"Tom...?" Mina said again. The black eyes widened and then the head moved in a negative monition.

"No." Tom said. Only it wasn't just Tom's voice. His own voice was there, but there were also female voices, male voices, voices that belonged to people who had been dead for thousands of years.

"We are the new guardian of the Well."

TBC...

There you have it, hope everyone enjoyed it!

~Sethoz


	25. Paying the Price

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Harker, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, Skinner or anything else I have used in this chapter, with the exception of things that belong to me. =) Thanks as always to my wonderful Beta; Silver Bow So sorry about taking so long to up-date this, I was hit with a rather nasty does of Real Life, otherwise known as coursework. At the moment, I'm in the middle of my Exam period, so up-dates may be rather sparse until they are over. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. Now, on with the Shout Outs!

**Clez:- **It was Twist-tastic, wasn't it. _::Grins Madly::_Glad you thought it was cool!

**Angharad:- **What will I do next? Why, I'll be lovely to Tom and everyone will hug puppies... _::Can't keep a straight face and dissolves into laughter::_ Or maybe **not**. You loved the last part? Aww, thanks!

**Silent Bob 546:-** Bob, my friend, you've summed it up perfectly. He is indeed something... else.

**Hoshii-chan:-** Yay! Someone else who didn't see that coming! Tom replacing Smith? You'll just have to read on to find out won't you...

**Naitriab:-** Are you glad that I got rid of Tom? Because, I honestly didn't expect a review to say _that_, what with the Tom Fan's around here... but this is me, so don't think it'll be as simple as it seems.

**LotRseer3350:-** Me? Let Tom die? ...Maybe... it's won't be easy, whatever happens, let's put it that way. As for the choice bit at the end, it was the Dream girl who said it. Hopefully this chapter will explain about that. It should, in theory, anyway.

**Lyn:-** No, thank _you_.

**Silversnow:- **A few people thought it was finished actually... it would have been a great place to leave it, but I have a feeling I would have been hunted down and ruthlessly killed if I left it like that, with no explanation.

**Freedomfighter82:-** _::Stutters and looks around in a scared manner::_ Well... uh... you see... I... kinda... I was... oh, look! I've up-dated! Don't worry about Tommy's soul, it's around here somewhere and I agree his green eyes were one of his best features!

**Roz:-** I was starting to think you had vanished again ; ) Good to read a review from you! Glad you're enjoying it.

**Funyun:- **_::bounces::_ Oh, but wouldn't that be too easy? Plus, Tom's torture would be over if I just killed him, and I'm not done with the boy yet... _::winks::_ Dramatic was what I was going for, so I'm glad it worked!

**Steffi-333:- **_::Falls off her seat, laughing the whole time:: _Yep, just when you think it's all over, I possess him with the dead. How fun! Don't worry it's not that sort of possession, so I he shouldn't start puking green slime... oh and I had a dream about the falling/not falling thing as well! That's why I wrote it in!

**Niani:-** Is it possible to enjoy something too much? Because if it is, then I probably enjoyed writing this too much...

**Queerquail:- **There is still time for Tom to be dead and for it all to be over, don't worry...

**Graymoon74:-** Um... it's not actually finished yet... little way to go still. _::Has turned a bright red due to all the compliments in the review::_ Aw, Graymoon, you are too kind!

**Stormyronin:-** Well, in a story written by me, what is likely to happen to Tom, if we are being honest here... _::Tom plushie gives a distressed wail of fear and is then hugged::_

**Funyun:-**_ ::blinks and looks back up her shout outs::_ Didn't I already get a review from you? I'm soooo sorry about taking so long to up-date, blame the education system! But I'm right here! _::Waves::_ And here is another part!

And now, here we have it,

**The Bodyguard**

Part Twenty-Five: Paying the Price.

For what seemed like an eternity, the League stared at Tom. Time seemed to slow and stop as each member of the League watched him, each unable to fully comprehend what they had been told. Tom stared calmly back at them all, an eyebrow slightly raised, a faint smile hovering on his lips. Yet, even like this, he seemed totally devoid of any emotion, as he watched them, waiting for someone to react to his statement. Mina didn't know how to react. For a few moments when Tom had leapt into action, to stop Big, there had been wild joy and hope in her heart. Normally, she kept her emotions firmly under wraps, not daring to let them loose, for fear they would get the better of her human side and allow the Vampire in her to roam free. Jekyll's mouth opened and closed as he tried to form some words but found himself unable to do so. In his head, Hyde was also silent, a most strange set of affairs.

"...What?" Skinner finally stuttered, somehow able to form a word, even through the pain. Tom – or rather, the thing shaped like Tom – obligingly repeated his last words.

"We are the new guardian of the Well." he said. The stunned silence returned as everyone tried to come to terms with this new information. While they stared in disbelief, Tom turned and moved back to the Well, sitting down on the sandy bottom step. Some of his hair had fallen over his left eye as he moved and without even seeming to think of it, he shook his head to brush it away. The movement – such a Tom-like movement – caused a lump to rise painfully in Mina's throat. The guardian of the Well cleared his throat and looked at them.

"Something puzzles us... Thomas Sawyer believed that you did not trust him any more. He believed that he had betrayed you – even if it was an unwilling form of betrayal – and that he was not worthy of your friendship. What we cannot understand is why he would then give up his own life to save yours without a moment's hesitation. It was the most powerful feeling and thought in his mind and the first thing we knew when we became one," The thing in Tom's body said. It was un-nerving to hear so many different types of voices coming from one solitary mouth, especially when some of the voices were very old and frail, some were young and some were female. Together the created a symphony of mingled sound, that – if you didn't know where they came from – they could be both soothing and at the same time disruptive.

"Sawyer thought that?" Jekyll said in horror, the guilt written on his face. Tom nodded, even as a low growl came from Mina.

"Tom would never think that. You lie," she snarled. The guardian shook his head, a sad smile – that was so faint it almost wasn't there – on his face. He hesitated and looked directly at Mina, before slowly saying.

"If it is any comfort to you... your friend died a proud death, free and strong. He knew who he was and he knew the results of his choice."

_Flashback._

_"Have you given your life willingly?" came the voices for a third time and again the words were repeated without anger or or any other emotion. Tom lifted his head to stare straight ahead, determination in his eyes._

_"Yes." he answered them. A pale purple light appeared to the left of Tom. It looked rather like mist. Slowly a tentacle snaked out of this purple fog. It began to weave towards the young American and he found himself frozen in place. Even his vocal cords seemed paralyzed as he stared transfixed at the danger approaching him. It was impossible to really believe that such a pale, almost transparent vapour in the air could really take away his soul and Tom blinked, having trouble remembering what he was supposed to do now. _

_Wasn't he supposed to be saying something else? Wasn't it important that he do... something? People were counting on him, and he was meant to be stopping someone... someone big. He was meant to stop the big person from achieving what ever it was they wanted but Tom couldn't seem to pull the information from his brain._

_There was a girl. It was something to do with a girl, Tom was almost sure of it. But what girl? And why? The tentacle moved closer and closer, emitting a pale purple light. It came closer and closer until it was only a hair breath away from him._

_"...Wait..." The word sounded as if it came from a great distance away, the voice belonging to a male and it came as a great shock to Tom to realise that the voice was his and that his own mouth had moved. The light paused and it seemed as if something had taken a deep intake of breath. He thought this because of the sudden lack of sound, which was more noticeable now. Memory returned to him, creeping back to his mind as though ashamed that it had left in the first place._

_"You need to know something first," Tom told the light._

_"We will know all you have to tell us when you are part of us," the spirits answered. Tom's head moved in a negative fashion._

_"By then it will be too late. You are all being tricked. Haven't you realised when the other souls sent by Big fully join with you? He's forcing people to jump down here, hurting them until they do willingly throw their lives away, just to escape him. As for your guardian, he's been helping Big do this! Not only that, but your so called protector enjoys inflicting pain on people," Tom told them, his face slightly flushed, his breath coming out in short gasps as his mind flashed back to pain Smith had caused him. The untold agony and despair as it seemed that he would never be able to escape from the twisted man's clutches. At the same time as Tom's short speech, Smith's soul was being blended back into the collection of spirits and they screamed with anger as Smith and Mr. Big's betrayal became clear to them. The sound was so high pitched that it wasn't even audible to the human ear. Even so, Tom found himself clutching at his ears and screwing up his face in pain._

_"Stop it... stop it..." he muttered, his eyes tightly closed. Then as suddenly as it started, the noise stopped and Tom was able to open his eyes, blinking slightly at the spots of purple lights behind his eyelids. He was in darkness again and he knew somehow that the spirits had moved away from him._

_"We will return you untouched to the surface. Big will die from his illness, for we will not help him any more," the spirits finally said._

_"No!" Tom said urgently, the word slipping out before he could stop himself. Taking a deep breath, the spy knew he would have no choice but to carry on. He only hoped it was the right thing to do. "He has my friends. If... if you send me back up there he'll kill them."_

_"They are not our concern. Our only concern is to stop Big."_

_"Please!" Tom begged, unable to believe what he was hearing. "There has to be something you can do. I can't just let my friends die." The light reappeared and floated around Tom, surrounding him but at the same time staying far enough away so it didn't touch._

_"Your friends are lost," they said at last. "A new guardian must be formed, a new body must be made. That can only happen when the Well is empty. By the time we return you and create a new guardian they will be dead. We are sorry." Tom blinked a few times, shaking his head in disbelief. It couldn't happen like this. The price for stopping Big shouldn't be the lives of his friends. An idea grew in his mind, a ridiculous idea, an insane idea that would certainly result in his death._

_"What about my body?" he asked softly._

_"Your body?"_

_"If I give up my soul, my body to you, if I give my life willingly, for my friends, will you save them?" Tom asked dully. The light swirled around him faster and becoming slightly darker._

_"Yes. You for your friends. It can be done. If you agree," they said. Tom nodded in agreement, giving his consent without a word or pause. Tom closed his eyes, even as the purple light rammed into him, cutting into his chest. His mouth dropped open as if to scream but his voice was stolen from him as the spirits of the Well greedily entered his body, the fragments of souls joining together and overwhelming him. Tom could feel himself falling away, sinking, sound draining away until he was just... gone._

_End Flashback._

"Let him go." Mina growled, glaring at Tom's body, the glowing red bleeding into her icy blue eyes and remaining there. The Guardian of the Well looked at her, an offended look on his face.

"We cannot 'let him go' as you put it. Your friend is part of us now. We will help you leave the spell, but then you must leave this place. For 'the Dead can not leave here, the living can not stay.'" He seemed to be about to say something else but paused then stopped completely.

"We will not leave without Agent Sawyer," Mina answered. Tom stared at her without fear, black orbs boring into the blue and red ones.

"He is dead! Yet at the same time, a part of him will live forever. Go. Mourn for your friend by all means, but let him pass, because you must not come back to this place," Tom replied.

"You lie! There must be someway for him to be saved!" Mina snapped, her eyes now a full red. The guardian sighed loudly and shook his new head, making a tutting sound.

"Stand. All of you," he said simply. The League found their limbs moving and they all stood. Tom gave a crooked smile.

"This body will last us for many years to come. When it dies, we will simply use the magic taught to us by Smith to create an illusion and keep this body intact. We are getting bored with trying to explain to you that this is not a changeable situation. Sawyer gave his life for you all, he completed his part in the ritual to save you. Do you plan to waste this gift?" he asked them, the tone bored yet with a spark of curiosity lingering in some of the voices.

"... He's really dead?" Skinner croaked out. Tom bowed his head, for the first time letting his black eyes leave the League completely.

"We are what he once was. We are what he will forever now be."

TBC...

Don't worry people, this is **NOT** the last part, there in fact, five more chapters left. Please leave a review :D

Sethoz


	26. Surfacing

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Harker, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, Skinner or anything else I have used in this chapter, with the exception of things that belong to me. =) Thanks as always to my wonderful Beta; Silver Bow. Managed to write this chapter pretty quickly, but there might be a gap before the next one is posted due to real life, it depends how things go. Now, on with the Shout Outs!

**Leigh S. Durron:- ** Well, only four parts now... ;)

**Clez:-** _::Blinks, squints and peers at you::_ Is this really Clez talking? Yeah, I agree, it's what Tom would have wanted, to die saving his friends. Well, no need for you to wait any longer, as here is the next part, where you shall see if your flicker of hope was justified.

**Freedomfighter82:- **Calm down! Technically I didn't kill his soul, I joined it with other souls... thanks for the compliments, I'm glad you're enjoying this.

**Lyn:-** Thanks, I'm now down to three exams, the worst ones are all over and done with.

**LotRseer3350:-** There's a rule now? _::Checks rule book::_ Oh dear... and I've read your Tom death story... it was very sad and very lovely at the same time. ...wait, why am I complimenting you? You've threatened to come after me with pitchforks and werewolves!!

**Graymoon74:- **Creepy is good, creepy was what I was going for. _::Laughs nervously:: _Of course I wouldn't really kill him... honest...

**Funyun:- **They might still have to live with their loss. Wouldn't that make an interesting story... The League without Tom... yeah, the funeral would be problematic wouldn't it ;)

**Hoshii-Chan:-** Denial is such a fun place to be! Here's the next part.

**Silversnow:- **I've written! Can I have popcorn now? _::pleading eyes::_ I want some popcorn...

**Steffi-333:- **_::Ducks chair::_ The spirits seem to becoming more and more evil as the story progresses don't they... you'll have to see if they get worse. It's the way Tom would have wanted, a noble end and if you slap spirit Tom, it's his body you are hurting... hehehe, no he's not going to go Exorcist...

**Niani:- **You'll have to read on to see if he is dead. Oh well, so I love things too much.

**Silent Bob 546:- **Everyone hates the spirits now... I wonder why. _::rolls eyes:: _It couldn't have anything to do with them taking over Tom, now could it? _::Blushes::_ Aw, Bob, you are too kind, really!

And now...

**The Bodyguard**

Part Twenty-Six: Surfacing

A low laugh echoed around the cavern, starting from the ground and rising up though the air. A cross between a gasp and a gagging noise followed it, as if the owner of the laugh was drinking something. The laugh itself was so twisted beyond normal tones that it would normally have been impossible to tell whom it belonged to. It would have been impossible if it hadn't been for the fact that the sounds were then followed by the scraping sound of fingernails. Fingernails that belonged to none other than Mr. Big. Tom turned his whole body to face him, the chokes and disbelief written clearly on his stolen face.

From the ground Mr. Big laughed again, the same terrible wheezing laugh as before. In a series of short, jerky movements the man had painfully rolled over and was on his hands and knees, his fanatical bright eyes fixed on Tom who stared emotionlessly back at him. The Dagger should have killed Big, as it burnt terribly any living flesh it touched. In fact, there was a large burnt area around the wound, the skin peeling slightly away from his body to revel tender and raw flesh. Big sat back on his knees, lifting his hands from the ground, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. The man coughed harshly, bringing a hand up to his mouth to try and stem the tide of coughing and when he brought it away – there was blood all over the hand, the thick red liquid dripping steadily onto the sandy floor.

"So... the ritual did work after all." He gasped out, the burning eyes still watching Tom as the guardian took a cautious step toward the other man. The empty black eyes stared down at the living man as if he was nothing more than a bug.

"You have misused our power." Tom said coldly, venom dripping off every word. "We will no longer give you life, instead we will give you death."

"Will you really?" Big asked in amusement, standing up fully. Tom blinked at this as the two walked around in a circle, each watching the other. Big smiled and forced his ailing body round some more, until he was standing between Tom and the League. The guardian titled his head to one side, a confused frown on his face.

"You, League... You can... no longer talk." Big wheezed out. Jekyll felt something like a rope snapping around his jaw, bringing it close and fusing it in place. "As for you, 'Tom'..." He trailed off, coughing again, his whole body jerking violently as he did so. Big brought the coughing fit under control with agonizing slowness and he straightened back up, the knowing smile still on his face.

"What do you want Colonel?" Tom finally asked.

"Life." Big whispered back. "And I know how to get it..." With that he rushed forward, his hands reaching for Tom. In a flash, Big's meaning became clear to the guardian. Because the ritual had kind of worked and Tom's soul had been claimed by the Well, then if Big touched Tom's skin would be able to drain him of his life and live for another two years. Big hands came down on Tom's arms, grabbing him and pushing him towards the end of the platform. Giving a laugh of joy, Big waited for the life to flow back into his body while Tom screwed his eyes shut.

"What...?" Big asked, the laugh fading away as he looked down at his wound in disbelief. It was still there and he was still dying. Big's eyes flew to his hands, noticing that he was touching Tom's bare skin. Panting, Tom opened his eyes, staring at Big. They were his normal bright green again.

When Big had reached for Tom, the spirits of the Well had made a split second choice and fled Tom's body, returning to the Well. Tom himself had sudden become aware of himself again, rising upwards through the other souls as if he had been under water for a long time. By leaving Tom's body and soul together, then the spirits had given back any claim they had on the young American, thereby stopping Big from living.

"Hello there." Tom said brightly, before scowling and grabbing Big as well, trying to pry the older man off. Big clung on grimly, pushing forward, one tiny step at a time, forcing Tom to take one tiny step after step backwards. He was slowly nearing the drop, though he didn't know it. Their voices stolen from them, the League were unable to warn him. Tom snarled and pushed back, digging his heels in and spinning Big round so the two were now both standing sideways to the endless drop.

As the two struggled on the edge of the platform, each using all of their strength to try and emerge the victor, the rest of the League could do nothing but watch. The two seemed evenly matched for the moment, Big running on adrenaline and the power that comes from insanity while Tom fought with the passion of someone who is fighting for more than his own life, someone who is fighting for something they believe in. Each had their arms on the other as they fought, neither giving way to the other. They would move slightly to either side as one gained a tiny advantage, before the other would steal it back and they would be where they started. This stalemate seemed destined to go on until finally, the wound caused by the Dagger would kill Big. Tom knew this and so did Big.

The colonel had been unable to stop his plans crumbling around him and he knew that he had lost the game. There was no way that he would survive this last battle, no way he could out manoeuvre his opponents in such a way as to emerge alive. The spirits would not help him anymore and he had run out of both time and allies. Mr. Big knew all of this, but that didn't mean he was going to go down without a fight. If he was dying, he was going to, at the very least, take the person responsible for his death with him.

Screaming in both anger and pain, Big let go of Tom by one hand and reached for the Dagger which was still embedded in his body. His fingertips touched the hilt of it and instantly waves of pain shot into his hand, almost making his pull his hand away right there and then. Gritting his teeth, the dying man grabbed the handle of the Dagger and pulled. It reluctantly came free of his flesh, almost as if it had been stuck there and was clinging on. Tom's eyes widened a fraction as Big lifted the Dagger above his head, the fresh blood stained on the blade, giving it a dull red tinge to it.

Still screaming in absolute agony, Mr. Big slashed down with the Dagger, his mouth curled up in a cruel smile despite the uncontrolled scream. Even as Tom tried to twist his body away, Big held him tight and the Dagger connected with Tom's own body. It was plunged into his upper chest, the tip going deep into his body, hitting him just above his heart. Even so, it was clearly a fatal blow and Tom's mouth dropped open as the Dagger bit into him, an expression of utmost surprise on his face.

"If I must die... so will you, come let us face our maker together!" hissed Big. Tom didn't hear him though. He didn't really hear anything. The whole world had gone oddly silent, except for the harsh sound he could hear from his chest.

_Thump!_

Everything seemed to fade away, time passing him by in weird globs. One second he could see the Dagger flashing above his head, the light bouncing off it. He had thought, in that second, that he had seen someone standing, reflected in the metal blade, but time had rushed past him. Now it seemed as if time had forgotten him completely and he was just standing in a void. There should be pain – a lot of it. Tom was sure of it, but the pain also seemed to be absent and Tom was grateful for that small mercy.

_Thump!_

Tom stared into Big's grinning face, the older man laughing dementedly. He thought he had won, Tom realized. The American tried to call up some emotion, some anger to give him the fire he needed but instead found himself drained.

_Thump!_

Big let go of Tom and he sank to his knees, his breath coming out in short, harsh gasps, though he couldn't hear it himself. Frowning, his expression still one of surprise, Tom forced his head upwards, so he could stare across at the League. They stared back, dismay and shock on Mina and Dr. Jekyll's face. Skinner wasn't moving at all, it appeared he had finally passed out – _At least he didn't see_ _me_ _fail..._ Tom found himself thinking. Nemo, as always, had no expression on his fierce face, though there was something lurking in his eyes that promised a terrible retribution.

_Thump!_

Only he wouldn't be able to get his revenge, or retribution, Tom realized. Because Big was already taking a slow and shaky step towards one of Tom's discarded Colt pistols. He was going to shoot as many of the League as he could and there was nothing anyone could do, because the spell was still in effect. The life would bleed away from Tom and he would die. Big would die as well, but the spell would still be in effect because the ritual was not completed and they did not leave together.

_Thump!_

After everything Tom had been though, Big was going to win where it mattered. Tom bowed his head, his gaze becoming blurred as he looked down at the dagger protruding from his chest. _This can't be the end... _The world seemed apart from Tom, almost fuzzy, as if he was floating outside.

_Thump!_

Time returned to Tom and he knew that only mere seconds has passed since he had been stabbed. Tom shakily stood up, his breath still in short gasps, fighting for every precious second of breathing time. Though he didn't know for sure, he could feel blood entering his lungs, and it struck him as funny that he was going to drown in Egypt. Unable to make a sound, having to save all his energy on moving and breathing Tom lunged forward and grabbed at the back of Big's shirt, dragging him backwards. Big fell back with a shout and the two stumbled towards the edge of the platform again, the heel of Tom's boots resting on thin air.

_Thump!_

For a split second the two hung precariously on the very edge. Tom's fading green eyes locked with the ice cold blue ones of Mina, a half smile touching his lips for an instant. Understanding dawned on Mina's face even as Tom turned back to look at Big. A cry of denial and dismay blossomed in Mina's mind, trying to force it's way out of her mouth and come into sound. But the spell held her mouth shut and the cry was internal only;

_No!_

Tom's leg caught Big's, tripping him and without another second the two tumbled from sight, plunging downwards into the inky darkness, a scream echoing from Big, though Tom was silent. The bonds holding the League captive vanished and Mina bounded forward, her skirt billowing around her legs as she ran gracefully to the edge and looked down. Silence and darkness was all that awaited her. As Mina stared down in despair, unable to see the bottom, even with her enhanced sight, she realized that her 'no' had been voiced externally as well as internally. The other 'no' had been female as well, but the voice had not been Mina Harker's. Slowly, dreading what she would see, Mina turned around.

TBC...

Hope you all enjoyed this part! Go, review! Let me know what you think =)

Sethoz


	27. The Sixth

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Harker, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, Skinner or anything else I have used in this chapter, with the exception of things that belong to me. =) Thanks as always to my wonderful Beta; Silver Bow. Apologies to the delay in this part. I'm in awe with the amount of reviews for the last part, you guys are the best! Now, on with the Shout Outs!

**Graymoon74:-** A very good guess Graymoon. Tom? In trouble? In one of **my** stories? Don't be silly. ;)

**funyun:- **You have lots of questions about the Dream Girl don't you... don't worry, she will finally be explained in the next part. I promise. You will know who she is, what she's doing and if Tom knows her. Cross my heart. And yes, Tom falling was not in anyone's master plan... except my own. _::Evil Laugh::_ And yes, Tom probably would have been faster, but he's just be stabbed, he's not going to be thinking clearly now is he?

**Hoshii-chan:-** _::giggles::_ I know, I'm evil...

**freedomfighter82:-** Eeep. Just take deep calming breaths... in... out... in... out. There, better? Probably not but oh well. You'll just going to have to... _trust me_.

**Clez:-**_ ::Blushes and mumbles looking away::_ Aww... so kind of you to say that Clezy!

**LotRseer3350:-** It's _not_ bad to stab him? Whoa, why did no one tell me that before? And please, don't threaten me again with sharp objects... _::Bottom lip wobbles and gives you a full blast of puppy dog eyes::_ I like not having holes in my body.

**Kayma:-** Does that mean you like it?

**Lyn:-** Why thank you.

**Niani:-** Yep, carry on reading! Please.

**Angharad:-** Who would have thought it, an evil cliffhanger from me... and thank you, glad you love it!

**Silent Bob 546:-** Just when you think you've seen the last of the bad guys they come back for a final swan song. As for Tom, did he die... well, read on my friend, read on.

**Steffi-333:-** _::Hands you a tissue::_ There, there. Demented mind? Aww, that's so sweet of you! So, just keep on trusting me... _::innocent smile:: _you can trust me...

**TARilus:-** You've right, it wouldn't be fair to kill Tom off after making him suffer so... but am I fair? _::muses on this::_ Tricky. Very tricky. Anyway, thanks for the compliments!

**Naitriab:-** Yes, that's true, you're not are you... oh well. Killing everyone **would** be more simple but it would also probably result in my own death...

**Silversnow:-** ..._::gasps on popcorn::_ That was genius! You are very evil! I like it! Now, antidote please... otherwise I won't be able to post the last three parts now will I?

**LostAngel2:-** Thank you, thank you, wait no longer!

**The Bodyguard.**

Part Twenty-Seven: The Sixth

A fairly normal looking young woman was standing there. Her blond hair hung limply down her back, bright blue eyes staring in disbelief at the empty space where Tom had been a moment before. Her pale and smooth hand was reached out as if she had tried to grab at him.

"No..." She whispered, drawing her hand back and shaking her head slightly, dislodging a few strands of her hair as she did so. Her simple white dress billowed around her slim form, the pale yellow sash tied at her waist showing off her body contours. She closed her eyes and frowned. Mina took a slow step towards her, the female's body alert, ready to move at the slightest hint of danger. She scanned the newcomer, her eyes taking in every detail of the young woman, from the dark long eyelashes to the the Dagger of the Well in the sash to the shoes on her feet.

_Wait... the Dagger?_

Mina growled loudly, attracting the young woman's attention as she opened her eyes and smiled faintly at the female vampire, nodding slightly as she did so.

"That's right Mrs. Harker. I am indeed the new guardian of the Well... but what gave me away?" She asked with interest. Jekyll's hand went to his coat, his fingers gripping tightly around a spare vial of his potion. Nemo tensed visibly, standing next to Skinner who was groaning and slowly coming round. Mina rushed forward, her fingers like talons, grabbing at the girl tightly, to prevent her from moving away. The young woman simple raised an eyebrow and looked at her, before looking down at the Dagger in her sash. A look of understanding dawned in her eyes and she made a tiny sound which sounded rather like 'oh'.

It was impossible to tell if this woman was scared of Mina and the fact that she knew how to kill her. Her face, at least, showed no fear, and as she was already dead she didn't have a heartbeat to give her away. Mina growled and lifted the girl by her neck, chocking her slightly even though it would cause her no harm.

A look of irritation flashed on the girl's face and she suddenly grabbed at Mina, wrenching the hand away from her own neck and pushing Mina away.

"I assume you want to know about this Dagger I have with me." She said coolly. Mina's eyes flashed a deep red, showing that she was in no mood for tricks. "Very well." The young woman pulled the Dagger from her belt and turned it so the hilt was facing Mina. "There is an inscription on it, placed there by me."

Despite herself, Mina leant forward, peering at the hilt and mouthing the words to herself. The girl looked over her shoulder at the rest of the League.

"It says: It was made by the dead for those who are dead. The living can not command it or brake the sixth with it." She fell silent then.

"That does not that tell us why you have this Dagger when it was last in Agent Sawyer's chest." Mina warned.

"Actually, it does. Sometimes to see an answer standing in front of you, you have to look for it." The guardian said cryptically. Mina's eyes narrowed.

"The sixth?" Skinner asked groggily. "The sixth what?" The thief was leaning on Nemo's arm, using his to support his weight.

"Why, the sixth law of God." The guardian said, as if surprised that Skinner would need to ask.

"Do you mean an Egyptian God?" Nemo asked. The young woman shook her head. "You mean the Christian God?" He asked and she nodded. Now that the Indian had chance to have a good look at her, there was something very Victorian in the way she stood and spoke, even if her clothes were far older. He guessed that she was a recent addition to the Well, possibly one of the souls Big had placed there.

"Thou Shall Not Kill..." Mina breathed, hope springing in her eyes for a second. The guardian smiled at her.

"That is correct. This Dagger is not meant for human use. You, Mrs. Harker could use if because you are half dead. Sawyer could use it when the spirits of the Well inhabited his body because he was dead. Mr. Big however, while he **was** dying, he was **not** dead. The wound inflicted by him was already vanishing. The only reason it took so long was because my body had not yet been propally formed so I could not claim my weapon."

"You mean... you mean, Agent Sawyer had not really receive a fatal stab wound to the chest?" Mina asked. The young woman, not much more than a girl shook her head. She turned and walked to the side of the platform, rising her hand up as she did so. There was a hissing sound and sand sprung up by the edge, leaping upwards to form a twisting sand staircase, that wound around, down and along the sheer side of the platform.

"You must hurry." The young woman said. "Because even though I do control the Dagger, I can not control the power of gravity and he fell a long way... one last thing." She hesitated and looked towards the quiet Well. Sound rumbled out of it, filling the air with words.

"**The Dead can not leave here, the living can not stay.**

**If the living remain, they will become the lingering dead,**

**Ever wakeful, un-sleeping, until the end of the world."**

The words echoed around the cavern, coming from everywhere and yet at the same time nowhere. The guardian spun back to face the League, worry on her face.

"Go!" She snapped. Mina stared at her for a second then gave her a jerky nod and turned, running for the sand steps. Dr. Jekyll followed a few paces behind her, looking over his shoulder every few seconds. Not to be outdone Skinner staggered towards the stairway as well, Nemo supporting him.

The four moved down the winding stair, Mina almost flying down it. She didn't know if she could trust this guardian – after all, the last two they had encountered had not really helped them – but there had been something in the way she had whispered the 'no', that had struck a cord with Mina. It had sounded as if she had really been upset over Tom's fall.

It seemed like an eternity, but really, was not much longer than a minute before she found her feet touching hard stone instead of sand. Looking upwards, she could make out three black specks that were the rest of the League. Though she looked hard for a long moment, she was unable to make out the top, the wall face just faded away into the darkness. Shaking her head, Mina looked back down and ran along the wall front, her heels making a light tapping sound as she did so. Rounding a curve, she almost fell over the still forms of Agent Sawyer and Mr. Big.

The Colonel had hit the ground first, his eyes – now forever unseeing – staring glassily upwards. The once clear blue orbs were now a dull, cloudy color with his whole head at an impossible angle. He seemed a mass of limbs, arms and legs flung outwards in odd and grotesque shapes. Tom Sawyer had landed on top of Big, the dead man cushioning his land slightly.

Tom lay on his side, a thin trickle of blood running down the side of his face, coming from his hair line, where there was a jagged gash, sand mixed in the blood as if he had hit his head while falling. His eyes were closed, as if sleeping, his chest rising and falling lightly. Tom's skin was drained of color, the whiteness a stark contrast to the black clothes he was dressed in.

Mina dropped lightly down beside Tom, untangling his body from Big's cooling corpse while checking him over for any fresh injuries. Apart from some bruising on his ribs and the head injure, there appeared to be nothing new. The old wounds though – caused by his tormentor Smith – were still visible, the ugly wounds only starting to heal. This floor was completely dark, with Mina only able to see because of her vampire blood. So it was that Jekyll didn't see her crouched there until he had fallen over her.

"Dr. Jekyll." Mina said, grabbing the man as he fell to stop him landing on either Tom or Big. "I have found Agent Sawyer, he is alive, but hurt."

Skinner and Nemo came limping towards them as a faint greenish light started to grow on the bottom floor, first lighting up the faces of the League then slowly spreading to touch on the darker clothing then moving across the ground. Mina and Jekyll fussed over the still Tom, not caring about the location of such light. Skinner on the other hand was staring round him in shock. Even Nemo took an intake of breath as he witnessed the scene around them.

"Uh... Mina.... Jekyll..." Skinner whispered. The two didn't hear him and he cleared his throat before trying again. "Mina, Jekyll, there is something you really need to see." Mina looked up in frustration, to find that Skinner's attention was fixed on the space leading away from the wall.

"What?" She asked. Her eyes followed Skinner's and her mouth dropped open slightly. "Oh my..." The faint green light was coming from ghostly forms of people long since dead. They stood in silent ranks, empty eye sockets fixed on the tiny group of breathing souls. As one, the lines of ghosts stepped forward, the forms stretching as far as the eye could see. Nervously Skinner looked at them, as they stared silently back, waiting for... something.

Mina lifted Tom from the ground and held his unconscious form in her arms, a quiet growl rumbling in the back of her throat as she glared at the ghostly people, her arms holding the young spy in a protective manner.

The thing that the ghosts were waited for was reveled as the crunching sound of bone's moving sounded behind Mina. The body of Mr. Big was moving, twisting, the sightless eyes turning to look at the group who instinctively tightened in a group around Mina and Tom, protecting the unconscious American. The words from the Well came to Dr. Jekyll as he watched the dead body stand on it's feet, the head still hanging at it's impossible angle.

_... the lingering dead, ever wakeful, un-sleeping, until the end of the world..._

The body moved towards the tight knit group, the green specters on the other side doing the same. The growl in Mina's throat rose dramatically as she snarled, trying to warn them to keep back, but the dead moved closer, ignoring the vampire. Skinner glanced to the expressionless ranks of ghostly people. He could see through each line, to see another behind them and a another line behind that one. The people stretched back as far as he could see, filling the black expanse with there otherworldly presence.

Nemo settled into a fighting position, his sword in his hands as he waited for them to come within his fighting range. Even if their enemies had been normal humans it would have been pretty bad odds to start with, but with one of their own down, another looking as if he might collapse at any minute and the fact that their enemies were already dead, it seemed as if there chances were even slimmer.

"We are here for the boy..." A thousand voices hissed, each mouth moving as one.

"That is enough!" A angry female voice cried out and the next second the new guardian of the Well had appeared next to the League, her eyes blazing with cold fury, her hands pointed palm upwards. Big's body froze in its lumbering walk towards them as the young woman stood in front of him. Then she turned slowly, her eyes still blazing to glare at the ranks of the dead.

"You released him and withdrew any claims on his soul. Agent Sawyer is not yours to take, so leave him be." She said calmly. The spirits stopped in their march, standing silently a few meters away from them. Skinner held his breath as the seconds ticked painfully by and then, without another word, the ghostly forms faded away. The guardian turned back to Big's dead body, anger on her face.

"As for you, you will also leave him." She snapped. Big's body turned away and shuffled off into the darkness. The new guardian watched him go, not relaxing until the stumbling body had been completely swallowed up by the dark.

"I am sorry for that, the dead do not suffer the living lightly." She said simply. Mina regarded the young woman cursorily.

"Why do you?" Mina asked with interest. Bright baby blue eyes looked at her, honesty shining in them.

"For Agent Sawyer's sake only." She answered. There was a low rumbling sound and the girl closed her eyes and sighed before pointing to the right.

"If you head that way, you will come across an open door, that leads to the outside. You must run, because if he wakes inside, he will not be your friend anymore, he will be one of the dead." The guardian said. The rumbling increased in volume and a slight shaking began.

"Thank you." Mina said quietly, turning and running full speed to the right, Tom still being carried in her arms. The shaking became increasing more violent as Nemo and Skinner took off after her, the Indian giving the young woman a bow of respect. Jekyll paused for a moment, watching the girl as she stood there before sighing and running after the rest of the League.

The young woman stared after them, the shaking dislodging large stones, making them crash to the ground. She closed her eyes, a lone tear trickling down her face as more of the cavern began to collapse around her.

"Hurry..."

Mina threw Tom over her shoulder as she ran, to increase her speed. Nimbly she dodged the rocks as they smashed down in front of her, she headed blinding in the direction she had been pointed. A pinprick of light burned on her retina as she ran. Slowly the pinprick became larger and larger until it almost filled her whole vision. A light breeze blew on her face as she neared the light, the air bringing sand and dust with it.

Pushing herself forward she ran under the arch way, suddenly finding herself in the open, on a sandy hill overlooking the Nautilus. Confused, Mina turned back to face the other's as they charged outside. Jekyll was the last to arrive and as he did so the arch fell, sending a wild fury of sand roaring up, the heavy stones completely sealing the entrance. When the sand settled, there was no sign of any opening in the sandy dune. Ignoring the strangeness for now, the team hurried towards their home, painfully aware that time had almost run out for Tom.

TBC...

Only three parts left! _::Sniff::_ I can't believe it's almost over... please leave a review!

Sethoz


	28. Meant to Live

**Disclaimer: **I am **so** very sorry about the wait for this part! It was written a while ago but then I re-wrote it and re-wrote it and re-wrote it... I'm still not happy with this part and I don't know if it really works, but I think **Clez** was close to throttling me if I re-wrote it yet again... and I like living, oddly enough. I don't own anything connected to this story, bar my own OC's... and now, here are the Shout Outs;

**Angharad:- **Sorry about the long wait you had and I'm glad you are enjoying it!

**Freedomfighter82:-** Would I unleash hell on Tommy with only three parts to go? Me? I think not... besides, he's still got plenty of mental problems to work through yet. You... you trust me?? _::Eyes well up:: _That's so sweet of you! As for what else Tom can go through, don't worry... a lot more. :)

**Clez:- **Indeed, that was enough compliments _::Is bright red::_ What would happen if Tom dies? Wait... on second though, I don't really want to know... sorry for the wait, hope this lives up to your hopes.

**Silent Bob 546:- **Thanks Bob! Yeah, I know what you mean, but sadly all things must come to an end...

**Graymoon74:- **She is a bit creepy isn't she. I didn't think the 'Sixth' idea was _that_ good, so thank you. Here's the next part!

**Funyun:- **We find out about the girl in this part, I promise you. The answer may not be what you were expecting... and damn, her being Tom's mother sounds like a really good idea, I wish I had thought of it! Ah yeah, I say something similar 'Luckily the ground broke my fall'. Yes, it is sad with the guardian, but sadly not everything can work out perfectly...

**Niani:- **A sequel? That is a very good idea... who knows... it is certainly open for a sequel so if I think of a good plot, who knows?

**Kayma:- **Thank you so much, I'm so glad that so many people are enjoying it!

**Leigh S. Durron:- **You have to be careful, sitting on the edge, you might fall off it...

**LotRseer3350:- **Now? Well, now they have to come to terms with everything that happened. Sorry you had to wait so long, I had real trouble with this part.

**Lyn:-** Thank you for reading and taking the time to review.

**Crystal Nox:- **Aww, you flatter me too much! There are many writers in this fandom who are much better than me. Yes... at first he was just in her arms, but then the image of him over her shoulder came to mind... _::Giggles::_

**Steffi-333:- **Yep, the story is almost over now, just some loose ends to tie up... and I think Tom and Skinner need to have a talk, don't you?

**Silversnow:-** They just don't know when to quit, those souls... because they had him once you see, then think they should keep him. _::Takes antidote:: _

**TARilus:- **Eeeeeep! He might survive... he probably will survive.

And now...

**The Bodyguard**

**Part Twenty-Eight:** Meant to Live.

_::: _

"White queen to king white bishop three."

The white queen was lifted from it's position and placed in the named square, by a hand. There was a gentle laugh as the first player's opponent scanned the board. Slowly, a delicate female hand reach out and hovered over the pieces. The chess set was a completely normal, run of the mill board and pieces except for one tiny difference. The colors. Instead of white and black, it was white and red.

"Good move." The Dream girl said. She gripped a rook lightly. "Red rook to queen white five. Your turn Tom." Tom frowned down at the board, staring at the position of all the pieces. For a few seconds his fingers brushed against a knight and he looked up at the Dream girl who was watching him with a faint smile touching her lips.

"What are we doing here?" He asked, before picking up the knight. "White knight takes red king's pawn." He added, taking the red pawn as he did so.

"What does it look like? We're playing chess." The girl said, the faint smile still on her lips as she fingered the Red Queen. Tom shook his head, the frown consuming his normally cheerful face and giving him a scowling expression that sat well on brooding men.

"You know what I mean." Tom said, staring hard at the Dream girl. She shrugged, letting go of the chess piece and picking up a red pawn instead and moving it forward one square. She bent her head, the blond stands of hair falling over her shoulders and blocking her face from Tom's eyes. Tom gave a grunt, as he realized he wasn't going to get any answers out of her at the moment. Running his fingers across his hair, he scanned the board, his eyes recording the fact that one of his knights was in a dangerous place; his king was safe for the time being, he had a white pawn two squares away from the other side; his rook was in a position to take the Red Queen; her bishop was almost in a position to take his own queen...

_Wait..._

Slowly, almost as if he was afraid that she would notice before he could take the piece and somehow stop him, Tom picked up his white rook and stared down at it as if he had never seen a chess piece before. Tom raised his eyes to look at the bowed head of the Dream girl, only to find that her eyes had also raised to meet his own. For what seemed like an entity the two pairs of eyes gazed steadily into each other.

Galaxies were formed and died, the tides washed away the sand before giving it back to the earth. It seemed as if there was a continuous cycle of birth and death in those two blue eyes and the girl herself seemed to embody that. She appeared to have lived longer than her young body suggested, a fact picked up from the way she held herself and a terrible sadness in her eyes. Yet, at the same time, she appeared to almost shine with the innocence of youth. The two conflicting views could not, of course, both be true and yet both seemed to. But, curiously enough, none of this came to Tom until later and he was able to remember the sight of the startling blue eyes and the way they seemed to convey all this and more. At the time, the only thought that came to Tom's mind was simply;

_She's letting me take it... but why?_

suspicious, Tom broke the timeless gaze and looked down at the board. Later, when he thought back on it, Tom would slowly come to the conclusion that the gaze had been held for a time so short, that neither had needed to blink once. No matter how hard he looked, there seemed no reason why she would let him take the piece. There was nothing he was leaving unprotected by taking the Red Queen, well, no piece that could warrant sacrificing the best piece on the board for. There was nothing in danger that he needed to move and his King was nowhere near even becoming in check. Slowly the girl blinked, her pale eyelids covering the large, limpid blue eyes. Tom placed the white rook in the same square as the Red Queen and took it, saying quietly.

"Queen's white rook takes Red Queen." He placed the piece by the board and the girl smiled, clapping her hands together. It was not a mocking hand clap, and the smile was not one of someone who could now win.

"By taking the Red Queen out of the game, you change the dynamites. Now the king doesn't seem as strong as before, though his knight is still in the way." She said, waving a hand down at the board below them. Tom followed the movement with his eyes and jumped slightly, staring at the pieces in shock. For just a second, instead of the normal blank face of the red king, it was Mr. Big who was looking out of the face of the king. With an oath, Tom sprung backwards from the board, his whole body trembling slightly. As he looked, the faces of the other pieces of the set changed and the knight in front of the red king became Smith. The second knight had the face of Tom, but so did the white king.

"This..." Tom started, the words dying in his throat. Silently the girl stared down at the board, offering him no help. Tom took a deep breath and pushed on. "This game we are playing... it's... it's what happened out there isn't it... you... I'm right, aren't I." Tom stuttered. The girl lifted her head to look at him for a moment, regret and sorrow in her eyes. Then she bowed her head again, in a nod.

"Who. Are. You?"

"Tom... I wasn't being totally truthful with you." the dream girl said, not looking at Tom. "You thought I was just a dream, a memory or idea from your own mind. I'm not. I am really one of the souls from the Well. In fact... now I am the new guardian of the Well."

"What? How?" Tom answered, his mouth dropping open a little in surprise. The girl squirmed in her seat, her eyes still not lifting to meet Tom's gaze. To delay answering his questions, she pushed one of her pawns forward one space, muttering quietly as she did so. Automatically Tom sat back down in front of the board and looked at it. He was still unable to directly attack the red king, even with the Queen taken. There was really very little for him to do, except to move one of his own pawns forward and he did. Sighing, the girl carried on.

"The drug you were given by Smith... the one that controlled you. It creates a link to the Well and to the souls inside. The idea is to help ready the mind of the sacrifice to the joining. It was supposed to link you to everyone in the Well... but I cut them off from you, so the only soul you felt was me." Without looking at the board she picked up a knight and moved it. Tom carried on staring at her, his expression still one of utter confusion.

"Why would you do something like that? I mean... you were part of the souls, so you were a collective, why would you even want to separate yourself?"

"We all are who we are and we all do what we must." She said lightly, giving him a crooked smile.

"What? I don't understand." Tom pleaded, pushing his pawn forward again. With this move it had reached the other side and the girl smiled, her eyes overly bright as she picked up the Red Queen and replaced it for his pawn. Tom frowned but didn't say anything. He wasn't sure how he suddenly knew the rules of chess, only that he did and he knew that when a pawn reached the opposite side it could be switched for any piece.

"You see? Now you have the Red Queen on your side and now, maybe you can win." She said, a shade too brightly. A tear ran down her check, having broken free of her eyes.

"I was one of the victims of 'Mr. Big'. I suppose you could say that my individuality was still being merged into the Well. Even so, when I felt your presence I was nothing more than part of one person... but after feeling you fight against Big after hearing some of your thoughts... suddenly there was a 'me' again, instead of just an 'us'. I was myself for the first time since my death. You made me want to fight and I worked to free myself from the Well. It wasn't possible of course, but I found by holding onto to your mind, I could almost pull myself free. So I admit it, at first, I was only helping myself."

"And then?" Tom asked, his mind still trying to catch up and understand everything that she was telling him. The girl who had helped him, who had been the one that stopped him giving up, the one who had told him – in cryptic form – how to stop Big... she was part of the Well and in effect, part of something that had wanted to kill him.

"I wanted you to escape. I wanted you to live, to be free... you didn't deserve what Big was trying to do to you." The Dream girl told him. While they had been talking, the two had still been playing chess, moving the pieces around the board. The girl looked down, staring at her red king, as Tom pushed the Red Queen to a space near it.

"Check... mate." Tom said. The girl flicked at the king, sending it crashing to the board, face first. The area around where they were sitting began to grow light and for the first time, Tom was able to take stock of his surroundings. It was the cavern that held the Well, yet the whole area looked different now and it took Tom a few seconds to work out why. There were large rocks on the ground, with cracks running through the rocks. The entrance and exit to the cavern was completely blocked up.

"What happens now?" Tom asked her. She shrugged lightly.

"You wake up and carry on living. The effects of the drug are fading, I do not think we shall see each other again after this. The whole maze and all the caverns are sealed off, and no mortal shall ever interfere with them again."

"And you?"

"Me? I am the guardian. I must remain here, watching over both the Well... and Mr. Big. It is his curse to be trapped here for all time..." She paused and looked away for a moment before looking back at him, as if she had suddenly realized something.

"Don't give up Tom." She warned. He started to protest, to feign ignorance but she laughed, tapping the side of her head with a finger. "I've been in your head Tom, I know how you think. You must not let this... incident... interfere with your life."

"But how can I not? What they did to me... how am I supposed to just move past that?" Tom asked her. In answer the girl leaned over and gently planted a light kiss on his cheek. She drew back and smiled, a blush tinging her face.

"Our memories of yesterday tell us who we are today, while the events of today, shape who will be tomorrow. Goodbye Tom and good luck." She spoke quiet calmly. Tom nodded mutely and she reached up, clasping his hand in her own. Something cool was pressed into his hand and he opened his mouth, only for her finger to cover his lips. The two gazed into each other's eyes, Tom's own breathing coming in short, un-even breaths. For a long moment it seemed as if the two would kiss on the lips before the girl smiled sadly, tears running down her face again. She shook her head and turned to go. At that moment, Tom remember that he still didn't know her name and moved after her. She began to fade from view, as if she was just a memory and an old one at that.

"Your name? Please, tell me." Tom begged, the dream girl's body fading rapidly away. She turned her head to look at him, the blue eye staring steadily at him. Just before her form vanished completely from view she opened her mouth and spoke her name.

"Alice."

Tom was now alone, the darkness descending until only himself and the immediate area around him was illuminated. He peered around vainly for a few moments then lowered his gaze, staring at his tightly clenched fist, feeling the cool metal press against his warm skin. Curiously, he peeled back his fingers and stared down at the silver pendant she had given him. In wonderment, he traced the branches, feeling the way the top curled round in a loop and the fact that the bottom one was longer than the others. Tom stared at the Ankh he had been given as he wandered along his own path, still in the almost darkness.

_**TBC...**_

Just two more part left! Hope you all liked this part and sorry again for the wait!

-Sethoz


	29. Flawed

**Disclaimer: **Ahh.. the penultimate chapter of **The Bodyguard**. I can't believe we're almost at the end of this story. Amazing or what? Sorry for the time it took me to update, my spell checker is an evil thing, as is my computer as a whole. Don't own anything to do with LXG and now, without any further ado, the Shout outs;

**Clez:- **Thanks Clezzy, so nice of you to say so and please, don't well up! _::Hands you a tissue::_ Hope you enjoy this part.

**Funyun:- **Yeah poor Alice. Sadly not everyone has happy endings, no matter how much we may want them to. I nearly made you cry? Aww... wow. Here is the next part, only one left after this.

**Freedomfighter82:-** Well Freedom, I don't want to come right out and say who Alice really was, but there are some hints throughout the story. The biggest hint is in this chapter and there were many hints in the last part. But yeah, Tom has his guilt to deal with and yes, the chess took place while he was being carried out of the cavern.

**TARilus:- **Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. Ah, the last two parts... well, Tom still has a few matters concerning his guilt over trying to kill everyone and drugging Mina...

**Lyn:- **Thanks!

**Silversnow:- **I would never abandon you.But I couldn't really leave it there for two reasons. One is there are still some loose ends to tie up... the second is I would be hunted down and killed. I think I'll pass on the popcorn.. I don't trust your food.

**Steffi-333:- **Tom lives and Alice is gone... gah, I've become much more fond of her than I thought I would be. Hope you like this part.

**Crystal Nox:- **The chess game was supposed to confuse you at first, to make you pause and go 'huh?'. Just me indulging in my love for the surreal. Oh and it was an important part of the plot...

**Niani:- **Only one more now. It's quiet possible I'll write a sequel, depends if other people would want one.

**Silent Bob 546:- ** You found it hilarious? I found it a very annoying part to write. It just didn't want to be written at all...

**Graymoon74:- **Do you want to know the reason why that reminded you of her? Because that's exactly who she is. I never come right out and say it but well done for spotting the hints!

**LotRseer3350:- Correct** and wait no longer, here's the next part.

And now... the penultimate part of...

**The Bodyguard.**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: **Flawed.

_

:::

_

Tom lay on his back, his eyes closed as if in peaceful sleep. Those watching him had no idea however, if his sleep was indeed peaceful, or if he was haunted by the memories of what he had been made to do and what he had chosen to do. After Dr. Jekyll had cleaned Tom's wounds and washed the dirt away, the young American looked almost as if he had never even been through his ordeal. Apart from a bruise on his right cheek and a slight cut under his hair line, there were no visible signs of injury – at least none on the parts of his body that were not covered by the hospital sheets. Mina Harker sat in the hard chair by his bed, her eyes never straying from almost still form of Tom Sawyer.

Somewhere nearby was Dr. Jekyll was doing something, keeping a careful eye on his patient without seeming to. Mina seemed oblivious to this however as she watched Tom, marveling at the way his chest would just rise and fall... rise and fall... rise and fall... rise and fall...

"Why hasn't he woken up?" A voice said, startling Mina out of her musings. She looked to her left, where the voice had come from. Though she couldn't see anyone, she knew it was Skinner standing there – who else could it be?

"It could be because his mind is not yet ready to face us." Mina said quietly, so quietly that her words were almost lost in the air. There was a sharp intake of breath however that told her the words had indeed reached Skinner.

"Why would his mind do that?" Skinner asked in disbelief. Mina sighed lightly and reached out a hand to brush some of Tom's loose hair away from his face. Emotions flashed across her face as she thought about Skinner's question before she answered him in a defeated tone.

"Misplaced guilt."

_

:::

_

He wandered along his chosen path, knowing by instinct which parts of the darkness were safe and which would lead him astray, to the demons of his own soul. A pale light began to dawn to his right, so slowly that he did not even become aware of it until it was a clear, bright white. By this time he was now standing so the light was directly to his right. The path vanished at this point, fading away at the place where the darkness met the light.

Tom faltered, his gaze shifting around nervously, suddenly unsure. Should he head towards the light? Or should he carry on in the dark? To delay making a choice Tom unclenched his fist, lifting the Ankh into the light to get a proper look at it. An Ankh was the Egyptian symbol of life... Tom wasn't sure where that snippet of information came from but he had a feeling it was a gift from Alice. Speaking of gifts... a faint frown creased his forehead as he noticed tiny letters carved into the back of the silver. He took a few steps towards the light, trying to see the letters well enough to make out the words.

_

:::

_

His heartbeat was a comforting sound to the female vampire as she sat there, waiting for him to wake up. It's steady beat was almost like music... Mina was starting to doze in her seat when the beating sound began to slow. Her cool blue eyes snapped open in panic. At the same time her body rose in one fluid monition to bend over Tom's still form. His heartbeat continued to slow and there was nothing Mina could to change it.

"Dr. Jekyll!" She called out, a hint of the panic she was feeling creeping into her voice. Tom's breathing continued to be steady and if it wasn't for the fact Mina could hear his heart beating she would never have realized there was anything wrong in the first place. Dr. Jekyll hurried over to them, his hand already reaching out to check Tom's pulse. An expression of dismay crossed his face at the faint and weakling heartbeat and he pulled his hand back as if burnt before turning sharply on his heel and crossing the room to get some adrenaline. Mina remained standing by Tom's bed, a confused expression on her face.

The ailing heartbeat... it had stopped fading away but at the same time it had not improved. What was going on?

_

:::

_

Tom paused, turning the ankh this way and that, the sliver glinting in the light. He could just make put the words that had been delicately carved there; '_Deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole we go...'_. The words did not enlighten Tom as he had hoped and even though he knew it was a message from Alice and probably an important one at that, he still did not understand.

"Great... that girl always has to give riddles doesn't she. Even when she's not here." Tom said aloud, lowering the piece of jewelery and tightening his fist around it again. For some reason he was loath to put it in his pocket because that would mean letting it go... letting her go and right now he needed the contact with the outside world.

Tom looked around, for the first time noticing he was standing in the light. He looked over his shoulder, back at the darkness, marling at the fact he didn't hurt anywhere... not in body or soul. He felt at peace, calm. Everything that had happened to him didn't matter anymore, because it didn't touch him. Even the all consuming guilt was gone. As he looked at the darkness, his keen eyes picked up a dirty gray light shining faintly beyond the darkness. But that was so far away and he felt as if he was floating... the bright white light called to him and he turned back to face it, a blissful smile on his face.

This was his reward.

_

:::

_

The adrenaline had done nothing to help Tom. His heartbeat carried on getting weaker and weaker and now Mina watched his chest with an almost morbid fascination, watching it rise and fall. Dr. Jekyll stood there as well, knowing he could do nothing else to prevent the heart from stopping, all he could do was try and start it again if it stopped.

"Please come back to us Tom." Mina whispered, her eyes still on his chest. Rise and fall... rise and fall... rise and fall... fall... fall...

_

:::

_

Tom felt so happy. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so good about himself and something told him that just a few steps away something even better was waiting for back to us Tom...

He paused, a frown on his face as he tried to understand the words. Tom knew that voice surly... it... it was Mina... but what did she mean? Didn't she want Tom to be happy? Didn't he deserve it after all he had been through? And why did she want Tom to come back, he wasn't going anywhere... was he? Tom blinked at the stray thoughts wandering though his mind. Of course Mina wanted Tom to be happy.

_...Don't you dare die on me Sawyer..._

Jekyll's voice this time... and he seemed worried, almost scared. Die... Tom didn't want to die... he just wanted to be at peace. So why did this all seem so wrong?

_... you can't give up kid..._

Skinner. Now Tom knew something was wrong and he tried to stop his feet as they carried him deeper and deeper into the light. They were out there and somehow Tom just knew that he shouldn't move further into the light. It wasn't his time to get his reward, not yet. Regretfully Tom forced his unwilling legs to turn around. It felt as if he was wading against a strong current that threated to sweep him away.

Pain shot through his body and he stumbled, almost being swept away into the light. Gritting his teeth, Tom took another step away from the clear white light of death, heading for the dull gray light. His fist tightened even more around around the small piece of silver in his hand, feeling it cut into skin. Every footstep caused him agony and he knew that he was heading back to life – why else would it hurt so much?

_

:::

_

There was a stunned silence as the group gathered around Tom Sawyer's bed looked on in disbelief as Jekyll tried to give Tom the kiss of life. He lifted his head to look at Mina, giving a slight shake of his head. Mina recoiled as if she had been hit. Jekyll bowed his head, taking a step back from the still form on the bed.

A sudden intake of breath sounded in the silence and Tom's body arched, as the green eyes shot open, looking round wildly as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Dr. Jekyll's mouth dropped open in shock, the utter surprise on his face quickly fading to one of relief.

"Dear Lord, Tom, don't scare us like that..." Jekyll muttered, unable to believe that his friend had just effectively come back from the dead – or so close to the dead that it made no difference. Mina moved to Tom's head where his eyes were still darting around the room in panic.

"Shush.. it's alright now Tom." she said soothingly. Tom's eyes locked on her and the wild look in them faded. A flash of guilt swept across them so briefly that she wasn't sure she had seen it in the first place. Slowly the eyes drifted shut and Tom slipped into a natural sleep.

_

:::

_

It was some hours before Tom gave any indication he was ready to wake up. He stirred restlessly, his body twisting under the sheets as if caught in some feverish nightmare. Even so, his eyes opened gradually as if his mind had not been involved in the torment of his body. For a while he simply stared up at the ceiling, ignoring both Dr. Jekyll's and Mina's attempts to get him to talk. His mind went over his... dreams? Visions? What ever they were, they left a strong impression in his mind – he just wasn't sure if it was a positive or negative impression, everything was so jumbled and confused.

Almost as if in a trance he shifted his gaze to his left hand, which lay above the covers, in a tight fist. Willing it open, the fingers slowly uncurled, one by one. Finally his palm lay exposed to the air and his breath caught in his throat for a second as he stared at it.

There was no silver Ankh in his hand.

_

:::

_

Skinner had to jog to catch up with Mina as she walked rapidly along the hallways of the _Nautilus_. After Tom has slipped into his healing sleep, the invisible thief had excused himself from the infirmary. He stayed away for two days as the ship headed away from Egypt. Where it was going he didn't know and right now he didn't care.

"Poi! Mina, wait up!" He called. Mina stopped and half turned towards him, her head dipping in greeting. Now that he had caught up with her, he didn't know what to say. There was a reason, he reminded himself, why he had stayed away from the infirmary – he never knew what to do when the subject of ill people came up.

"How... how is Tom?" Skinner blurted out. A shadow seemed to fall over Mina's features at his question and she shrugged lightly, as if to dismiss the subject. Skinner waited for her answer anyway and she lifted a black gloved hand to her head, pressing two fingers against her temples.

"He is not doing so well Mr. Skinner." She said at last. "He seems to be harboring an intense amount of guilt over how he behaved in this whole afire and nothing I or Dr. Jekyll say can shake him from his belief. It is destroying him... and unless he snaps out of it we will loose him..."

"No." Said Skinner, his voice so determined that Mina looked at him in surprise. "We are not going to loose him. Remember when I said he was our trigger happy American?" At Mina's nod and slight smile – so slight it wasn't really there – he carried on. "Well I was right. He's ours and we're not going to loose him to some bastard like that Big." There was a flurry of black leather as Skinner spun on his heel and marched down the hallway, heading right for the infirmary. Mina suppressed her smile, at both Skinner's words and actions, hoping that Skinner would succeed where she had failed.

They needed their optimistic friend back. His optimism kept the rest of them from going crazy as well.

_

:::

_

Skinner entered the infirmary, his gaze landing at once on the curled up American Agent who lay with his back to the door, his head tucked almost as low as his knees. At once all of Skinner's planned speeches vanished and he was left with a blank mind. How could he find the words to try and make Tom feel better? He moved over to where Jekyll was sitting at his desk, making some notes in a book of some kind. The two exchanged a few words before Skinner nodded.

"Hey Sawyer, doc says your fit enough to be let out the infirmary soon." Skinner said, in what he hoped was a cheerful tone as he walked over to Tom's bed and sitting in the chair next to it. Tom didn't answer him and apart from a slight stiffening of Tom's body there was no reaction.

"Nemo's been busy since we left Egypt, working on some kind of tracking device that can be as small as your fingernail. Nuts that one is. I mean how could he fit all the wires into such a small space? But he just looks all serious and knowledgeable, telling me that I should... open my mind more. I'm inviable and naked, how much more open-minded does he want me to get?"

"Skinner." Tom said suddenly. The invisible man paused in his talking and looked hopeful but Tom didn't move from his curled position. "Go. Away." He said, his voice harsh and raw, almost as if he had been crying for hours. Skinner froze at the words. The unspoken words were almost as loud as the spoken ones.

_I don't want your help._

Skinner's shoulders slumped in defeat and he silently stood up, leaving the infirmary. Tom heard him go and some tears rose to his eyes as he realized Skinner wasn't going to fight him, to try and make him open up. Didn't that just prove that he didn't deserve to be here?

_

:::

_

Tom leaned against the railings on the conning tower and shut his eyes, letting the sun warm his bones. Spots of light played across his closed eyelids, creating patterns that swirled slowly around. Jekyll had finally let him leave the infirmary with the instructions that he was to rest as much as he could. Tom had nodded, answering all of Jekyll's questions with single word answers. Part of him knew that his friends were just trying to help but he didn't care. Everything felt so cold and gray and once, Tom had found himself regretting turning away from the light. What was the point of his life?

He had been hurt so badly and so many times. He had betrayed those he thought friends and all for what? So someone could get revenge on Tom for killing his brother. A tear slipped past Tom's eyelids and fell, hitting the railing.

"I want to live." He whispered, as he bowed his head, letting the blond locks fall around his face. Tom wanted to shake this feeling off, to feel alive again. The metal door leading inside creaked open and someone stepped out onto the platform, shoes clicking on the floor. A faint scent drifted towards Tom, a perfume that he knew belonged to Mina. Suppressing a sigh he opened his eyes, staring down at the railing, the eyes filled with tears that would not fall. He couldn't see Mina, but he could hear her as she moved closer and closer to him. He kept his head bowed as she stopped a few steps behind him.

"Tom." Mina's soft voice said and it sounded so wonderful to him, so sweet after the harsh tones of Big and Smith. Yet even her voice didn't sound the same, somehow it sounded duller, almost as if the shine had been rubbed off. The American didn't answer her and after an short pause she tried again.

"Tom, I did not come here to talk to you, as you have made it quite clear you are not ready." Mina told him. Tom found himself turning to look at her, almost against his will, a faint spark of curiously in his eyes. It was the first positive emotion he had displayed since Egypt and inwardly Mina rejoiced at it – some hint of progress at last!

"Then why?" Tom asked her, wrapping his arms around his chest in a protective gesture, almost as if he was hugging himself.

"When you were in the infirmary. before you woke up the first time there was something I took from you. I have come to return it." Mina said, holding her hand out, palm upwards. Something on it shone in the light, casting little silver rainbows. Tom moved towards her, staring at the silver Ankh. So he had been given it after all, it was real.

In a daze he reached out for the ankh, taking it slowly from her hand and holding it in the sun.

"We are here when you need us Tom." Mina said calmly. Tom didn't answer her, too wrapped up in the ankh and his thoughts. Mina watched him for a few moments, wondering what exactly was the importance of the ankh and what was going on in Tom's head. "It would seem as if you have a choice to make." Mina added at last, turning and leaving him alone. He lowered his gaze again, turning his head to stare out to the sea.

"It would seem that way." He muttered, feeling his hand tighten around the piece of jewelery.

_**TBC...**_

Okay, I am thinking about a follow up story to this one, and I do have a plot in mind, but would anyone [besides 'Niani' of course.] be interested in reading it?

- _Sethoz_


	30. Moving On

**Disclaimer: **Thank you so much to everyone who has read this story and who kept coming back to read each new chapter as they came out. You are all so wonderful and I love you all! Here is the very last chapter of _'The Bodyguard'_ and I hope you enjoy it. For anyone who is interested, the title is taken from the song that was my main inspiration for Tom Sawyer in this story, _Moving On _by **Good Charlotte.**

No personal shout outs this time, as I wanted to get this part out as soon as I could. So instead thank you to;

**_Clez, Marcus Lazarus, tonianne, Silent Bob 546, LotRseer3350, Steffi-333, Lyn, Hebe, queerquail, Scifirogue-klutz, Graymoon74, Leigh S. Durron, freedomfighter82, Elven Write_r** and **_Silversnow_**

_---_

**The Bodyguard.**

**Chapter Thirty: **Moving On.

_---_

Being one of the un-dead, a creature of the night, Mina Harker didn't need to eat normal food, not really. She indulged in the simple pleasure of eating human food for a number of reasons. The main one being that she wanted to appear as normal as possible. She knew she was different from the rest, a cursed life-form. The last thing Mina wanted to do was remind the few people she called her friends just how different she was. Another reason was simply the wish to be sociable. Nemo was almost fanatical in his wish for the League to dine together and while he did not force them to, they would eat together anyway. It gave them all the chance to talk about the day and make any plans.

Tom Sawyer had woken up five days ago. Three days ago he had been allowed to leave the infirmary, as Dr. Jekyll could think of no physical need to keep him there. For the past three days though he had eaten his meals in his room, refusing to eat with his team mates. The American seemed to crave his own company, barely saying more than two words to anyone.

The bruises were starting to fade, the cuts and other marks healing. The haunted look in his normally cheerful green eyes was still just as strong as ever. There was a shadow across him that hadn't been there before, something that threatened to crush Tom's spirit. And there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. In her desperation Mina had given Tom the Ankh she had found in his fist; in the hope that it would somehow snap him out of his depression. She didn't know if it had worked, as Tom had only been seen outside of his room once a day, when he had been forced to return to the infirmary for a check up. He had even stopped visiting the conning tower.

Sighing so lightly that no-one would hear her – though everyone at the table seemed engrossed in their own thoughts – she stabbed listlessly at the green vegetable on her plate. Mina lifted the morsel to her lips wishing that Tom would join them for the meals. It would be a sign that he was getting better and right now, Mina needed any sign.

_---_

The last rays of the dying sun filtered in through the porthole of Tom's cabin. That light was the only illumination the the room, the rest of the cabin shrouded in near darkness. On the haphazardly made bed by the wall sat Tom. He leaned against the bulkhead, one knee drawn up to his chest, his right arm flung across it. His left arm was lifted upwards, his hand closed around some thick dark brown thong. Hung around the thong was the silver Ankh. Tom silently sat there, watching the lump of shaped silver as if it would suddenly speak and tell him the answers to all of his questions.

It was in this position that Tom had spent most of his time since Mina had returned the Ankh to him. He was trying to work out what to do next – the Ankh had been given to him as a symbol of life and if he accepted it then it meant he had to keep fighting and Tom didn't know if he could do that.

Skinner had visited him a few hours ago, speaking through the door. He had tried to enter, only to find Tom had locked the door. There had been silence on the other side of the wood and for a long, horrible moment, Tom had thought Skinner was going to pick the lock and force a reluctant Tom to talk. Instead Skinner had sighed heavily and – to Tom's complete surprise – said sorry to him.

Why should Skinner say sorry to him? If anything, Tom should be apologizing to _him_, to say sorry for not being strong enough when it mattered. Instead Skinner had sounded sorry for knocking Tom out but the American didn't blame him in the slightest, if anything Tom should be thanking Skinner, thanking him for trying to save Tom, even though he didn't deserve it. He would have to tell the thief he didn't blame him... the next time he left his room.

_---_

Skinner was not a man used to talking to God. He had never really found time for some higher being that had taken no interest in Skinner's life, except to spit on it ever now and then.

Even so, he would have quite willingly prayed to God, to ask him how to help his friend. If only he could find the words to do so.

_---_

Tom stared into the mirror, having finally pulled himself from the bed. His hand was still holding the silver Ankh tightly. Tom stared at his image without blinking, scanning every part of his face, as if trying to understand something. He knew that Colonel Moriarty had gone after him because he had killed the Fantom. He knew that, but it didn't make it any easier to bear. The man had hurt him, used him to hurt his friends and Tom had given in to the man.

A crystal clear tear appeared in his right eye, the salty liquid welling up until finally it broke over the rim of the skin and trailed down his cheek. At once a range of emotions washed over him, filling him with each of their special characteristics before being replaced by the next. Words came to him, words that didn't seem to have come from his own mind. Words that summed it all up. Life. Hope. Truth. Trust. Faith. Pride. Love. Lust. Pain. Hate. Lies. Guilt. Laugh. Cry. Live. Die.

Die? He didn't want to die... did he?

_---_

Mina sat in her normal chair, trying to eat, though as always since Agent Sawyer's rescue she found her eyes flickering to the door every few seconds, her ears straining for the soft sound of his footsteps, to let her know he was joining them for dinner. Again she was disappointed, as the meal progressed and there was no sign of the young American.

It was getting harder and harder to resit the temptation of storming to his room, kicking the door open and dragging him out into the company of his friends. Ultimately though, Mina knew that such a course of action would do more harm than good and that Tom was waiting for something before he could begin to heal. She very much doubted if he was even aware of that fact, but all the same, Mina was convinced he was waiting for some sign, some answer to one of his many questions.

She only wished she could help him, but you can't help someone who won't help themselves and right now, Tom was simply wallowing in self pity.

_---_

He didn't want to die. Tom was sure of it. Yes, life was bad and it hurt. Yes, he felt guilty about everything that had happened, he felt guilty about Alice. Yes, he didn't know if he would ever be able to look the League in the face again... yes, he knew all this and more.

It didn't change the fact that Tom still found life such a precious gift. He would be wasting not only Huck's gift, but Allan's as well. He would even be wasting Alice's gift. It was one thing to not be able to look his friends in the eyes in life.

It was quite another to not be able to look his friends in the eyes for all of death.

He had to chose to live or to die and he had chosen the former. He now had to deal with his choice as best he could. And that meant talking to the League, thanking and apologizing to Skinner, training with his weapons again, feeling the sea breeze on his face. In short it meant leaving his room.

_---_

The meal was nearing it's end and Mina was glad. The awkward silence had been bad enough at the start, but now meals with the League had descended into gloomy quiet, that could not be lifted, not even if Skinner had the heart to try any of his tricks. He didn't feel like it.

A faint sound floated towards Mina's ears and she stiffened slightly, leaning forward so as to hear it better. Could it be...? The sound came closer and closer as the rest of the League noticed it and gradually what little eating had been going on ceased. The door opened and Tom stepped inside, looking around nervously. The confidence that had once been shining in Tom now was muted, faded somewhat.

"Hello... am... am I too late?" Tom asked, clearing his throat. Nemo rose from his chair and bowed low at his team mate.

"Not at all Agent Sawyer, please join us." He said. Tom nodded in thanks and quietly moved over to his seat, shooting Skinner a glance. He would have to talk to the invisible man later.

Around his neck, just visible above his shirt was some dark brown thong and hanging off that, resting near his heart hung a silver Ankh.

_**The End...**_

Only as you all now should know, it's not. The follow up, called _'Theft of the Dead'_ should be posted soon, keep a look out for it.

Thank you again to everyone who reviewed this and who has stuck through all 30 chapters. You guys rock in ways I cannot begin to describe.

_-Sethoz_


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